KARACHI: Karachi is facing a “severe gas crisis” during the cold winter, forcing residents to turn to expensive liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as a substitute.
Although scheduled gas loadshedding occurs from 9:30 pm to 6 am and 2:30 pm to 5 pm, many areas in the city either suffer from low gas pressure or receive no gas for most of the day.
According to Dawn, residents across the city complain that the unannounced loadshedding worsens as winter approaches.
Some of the affected areas include North Karachi, Lyari, and North Nazimabad, where gas supply is frequently interrupted, forcing people to rely on costly alternatives.
According to sources from the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), the issue stems from the city’s aging gas distribution infrastructure, which is being rehabilitated. However, the ongoing replacement of old pipelines in various densely populated areas has disrupted gas supplies even further.
Complaints about gas shortages have surged, with consumers from different parts of the city calling the 1199 helpline for help. In some areas like Khokhrapar, residents have been without gas for days. People are being forced to switch to LPG cylinders despite the higher cost.
Muhammad Rizwan, a retired Karachi Metropolitan Corporation employee, shared that he can barely afford LPG, as his pension dues remain unpaid.
Some residents have even resorted to using gas suction devices in an attempt to draw gas from the supply lines, but in many cases, these devices only bring in air. SSGC officials claim that these illegal devices further lower gas pressure in many neighbourhoods.
The growing demand for LPG has led to a sharp rise in its sales. According to Muhammad Ali Haider, Vice Chairman of the All Pakistan LPG Marketers Association, demand for LPG has increased from 12 tonnes to around 16-17 tonnes in the past few days.
He also highlighted that the price of LPG fluctuates due to the lack of regulation at the retail level, and the city’s administration lacks sufficient officers to enforce price control.
Meanwhile, the SSGC blames the crisis on the depletion of natural gas reserves, which has reduced supplies by 40 per cent since 2017-18. The company insists that there is no loadshedding in its franchise areas, and night-time gas closures are part of a strategy to manage supply during peak hours.
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