Gas shortage: Rawalpindi residents turn to costly alternatives for daily meals

RAWALPINDI: In Rawalpindi city and cantonment board areas, more than 80 per cent of families find themselves compelled to purchase breakfast, lunch, and dinner from local hotels.

The situation has raised concerns as the government appears to overlook the issue, failing to provide adequate domestic gas supply, especially during the recent cold weather following the first rain on Thursday.

The residents are left in a lurch, scouring for alternative heat sources and resorting to purchasing costly liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), coal, dry wood, kerosene oil, and a recently devised solution—the ‘Mobil Oil Stoves’ available in markets.

With the absence of natural gas, residents are risking their safety by exploring various fire sources to prepare their daily meals.

According to The News, the ‘Mobil Oil Stove,’ utilising discarded oil from motorcycle or car engines, has emerged as a makeshift solution, albeit a dangerous one, posing the risk of explosions.

Despite federal government warnings to Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) to strictly adhere to the gas supply schedule for domestic users, the system remains compromised.

Allegations of a ‘corrupt mafia’ within SNGPL selectively providing gas to those who offer ‘bribes’ exacerbate the situation, leaving the impoverished public to purchase black-market LPG at an exorbitant rate of Rs300 per kilogramme for their essential meals.

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Addressing the issue, Muhammad Kawish, the Executive Engineer (Gas Pressure) of Rawalpindi Region at SNGPL, assured that efforts are being made to supply full-pressure gas to the public during the winter season.

He emphasised that teams are actively addressing pressure issues across the Rawalpindi region, adhering strictly to the scheduled timings for gas supply.

However, the assurances seem to ring hollow as the public continues to grapple with low to zero gas pressure, despite tall claims by authorities regarding improvements in gas supply.

Rawalpindi consumers express frustration, lamenting the hefty bills they pay without the provision of natural gas. The prevailing situation paints a bleak picture of a community left without the writ of the government during these challenging times.