The people in provincial metropolis are facing acute gas shortage as demand for the commodity has increased due to drop in mercury levels.

People from various localities across the provincial capital have complained about very low pressure or suspension of gas supply. In various areas like Ichhra, Township, Rehmanpura, Wahdat Colony, Model Town, Thokar Niaz Baig, Mughalpura, Samnabad, Islampura, Gawalmandi and Chungi Amer Sidhu people complained about the low gas pressure.

Many also pointed out that people in their neighborhoods had installed compressors or pumps on gas lines to increase pressure.

Sources in the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) claimed that consumers were only facing low gas pressure and that there were no total blackouts in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

They said uninterrupted supply of gas to the domestic consumers is the priority of the company which is bridging the demand and supply gap during the winter by supplying around one billion cubic feet re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) to the consumers.

The SNGPL has been advertising against illegal use of compressors and pumps as well as disconnecting the gas connections of the consumers for three months who were involved in using compressors but has failed to effectively control their use.

The company is supplying gas to general industry which includes export-oriented industry despite high demand from the domestic sector amid severe wintry conditions. The average consumption of domestic, commercial and industrial (city load) on the network during last December 2018 was 1470 MMCFD whereas in December 2019 the average consumption of these sectors is around 1597 MMCFD, the sources said.

It means approximately 130 MMCFD in excess is being supplied on daily basis which showed the SNGPL proactive attitude, the sources claimed.