Residents in several localities of the garrison city were put in a bind on the first day of Ramazan due to extremely low gas pressure.
The unavailability of gas prevented them from preparing Sehri and forced them to buy food from the market instead.
The gas pressure sharply dropped from 2 am to 4 am, according to residents. Media Town, Shah Khalid Colony, Gulzar-i-Quaid, Airport Housing Society, Chaklala Scheme-III, and Nayyar Colony were among the most affected areas.
Residents of various localities
Residents of various localities in the garrison city expressed their concerns about low gas pressure during the first day of Ramazan. Sarmad Ahmed, a resident of Media Town, stated that the stove did not catch fire due to low gas pressure. He added that the situation was worse in his area, as the gas pressure in adjoining areas such as Bahria Town and Police Foundation was good. Shabir Chaudhry, a resident of Nayyar Colony, shared that gas had been in short supply since the first day of Ramazan. He believed that the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) had provided gas connections to a large number of sweet shops and hotels, affecting the gas pressure for domestic consumers.
Faisal Malik, a resident of Shah Khalid Colony, expressed that gas pressure had been very low since the current rain spell began. As a result, people opted for other fuel means like coal and wood for Iftar. Mohammad Akram, a resident of Sadiqabad, said that due to low gas pressure, Naanbais had increased the prices of roti from Rs25 to Rs30 as they were using wood.
Ali Abbas, a resident of Dhoke Ratta, mentioned that locals had complained to the SNGPL Rawalpindi office, but officials were not taking the matter seriously. He believed the mushroom growth of CNG filling stations on the adjoining Railway Workshop Road was the basic reason for low pressure. These filling stations provided gas from the main line supplying gas to domestic consumers.
Residents of various locations
Mohammad Tauqeer, a resident of Arya Mohallah, said he had to bring coal to cook food as natural gas was not available after midnight. Ahmed Malik, a resident of Gawalmandi, said they were facing low pressure since the start of Ramazan. According to him, the SNGPL officials claimed that the number of gas users had increased in the area, and locals were making nimkos in houses for commercial purposes.
Officials at the SNGPL regional office admitted that there was a gap between demand and supply during Ramazan. The load of the domestic sector had increased three times, creating a gap. The company was paying priority to domestic consumers under the special directives of the federal government. They assured me that within a few days, the situation would improve.
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