Islamabad, June 8 (IANS) People in Hyderabad city of Pakistan's Sindh province have not been receiving gas supply during the nine-hour daily schedule announced by the gas utility, sparking concern among residents, especially women, who are struggling to manage household work amid scorching heat, local media reported on Monday.
As per Sui Southern Gas Company's (SSGC) schedule, gas should be supplied for three hours each in the morning, afternoon and night. However, residents from several areas of Hyderabad have said that the gas utility company has not been able to supply gas during this limited schedule, Pakistan-based daily The Express Tribune reported.
In some of the areas which received a gas supply, residents complained of extremely low pressure that made cooking nearly impossible. According to the residents, gas pipelines during the scheduled time carry only air for 15-20 minutes before gas starts to flow. Women said they repeatedly light stoves to check if the gas supply has begun, leaving burners open so the air can escape, leading to a rise in monthly bills as the meter keeps running.
A resident of Latifabad complained, "We are paying for air in our gas bills while spending hours in the kitchen to cook a single meal."
The shortage of gas supply has resulted in an increase in sales of electric stoves, induction cooktops, ceramic cookers, solar ovens and domestic LPG cylinders, which have a capacity of 2-12 kilograms, The Express Tribune reported. Furthermore, people are also buying fibreglass LPG cylinders as they are lighter and rust-proof.
Earlier in May, people in Sindh's Karachi faced disruption of water supply along with gas and electricity outages during the three-day festivities of Eidul Azha, Pakistan's other leading daily, Dawn, reported.
Taps remained dry, gas pressure remained low, and there was a disruption of power supply in several parts of Karachi, leaving residents distressed and angry at the three utilities due to their inability to ensure supply during Eid festivities.
Residents in several parts of Karachi reported no gas or extremely low pressure while the gas company claimed that they were providing an uninterrupted supply during Eid, Dawn reported.
Similarly, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) said it had restored the 650 million-gallon-per-day (MGD) supply on the eve of Eid. However, residents reported facing a water shortage in several areas of Karachi.
People also complained of power outages in several areas of Karachi, despite K-Electric claiming that "no unannounced loadshedding was carried out in any part of the city."
--IANS
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