PESHAWAR: Sui-Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has accelerated crackdowns against thieves and disconnected more than 487 illegal gas connections in the current month in different parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Briefing the media persons regarding actions against gas thefts throughout the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa here at SNGPL headquarter on Monday, the SNGPL General Manager Rahmatullah the ongoing actions against illegal connections had been expedited, during which more than 487 illegal gas connections disconnected in the last one month.

He said the operations against illegal connections and gas thefts carried out by field teams over the past one month had yielded positive results.

239 suspected meters were removed in different areas during the crackdowns, and registered cases against six gas thieves, the senior official said. He said actions against illegal gas connections and thieves were being conducted in Nowshera, Charsadda, Kohat, Karak and other districts of the KP province.

GM SNGPL said legal actions had been taken against gas thefts across the province. He claimed a record reduction was seen in line losses. About the law and order challenges during the crackdowns, the senior official said security institutions have fully cooperated with the SNGPL during crackdowns against the illegal connections and gas theft throughout the province.

“We have launched mega operations in our service areas Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”. He vowed there was zero tolerance on gas pilferage.

While replying to a question, the GM SNGPL said consumers’ ratio was increasing with passage of time against the natural gas production in KP. He expressed that gas deficiency would be overcome after addition of gas from Waziristan to the national grid.

The senior official claimed that gas theft was highly reported in district Karak. However, he said the situation was improving in district Karak after conducting random actions by the company.

The gas authorities advised people to report illegal connections to 1199 so that uninterrupted gas supply to consumers could be ensured.

It is noted to mention here that following an announcement by the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) that a “massive crackdown” launched against gas theft across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023