Pakistan: Residents in Karachi face problems due to unannounced gas outages

Islamabad, April 14 Residents in Pakistan's Karachi have been facing difficulties as the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has failed to ensure gas supply even during meal hours three times a day, local media reported on Tuesday.

The SSGC claimed that it was providing gas to households from 6 am to 10:30 pm (local time) without any disruption. However, over the past two weeks, people of Karachi have complained about unannounced gas outages in their localities. The gas shortage has triggered widespread frustration among people in Karachi, with many households turning to roadside vendors, restaurants and LPG suppliers for alternative cooking options, Pakistan's leading daily Dawn reported.

Rehan Danish, a resident, termed the situation "chaotic." He said, "I had to rush back home from my office in Saddar, buying food for my children for lunch after my wife told me that our kitchen was shut down due to the unannounced gas suspension."

A woman revealed that she had to cancel a planned family dinner as there was no gas supply. Another woman criticised the gas utility for unannounced gas cutes during the few scheduled hours of supply three times a day.

Another furious woman said, "Why doesn’t the SSGC let people know about the gas cuts in advance, or do they just want to pile misery on their customers?"

As people faced difficulties in finding alternatives, long queues formed at LPG stations and shops as the refilling took long time. LPG was not available at many shops, further adding to people's difficulties.

A resident waiting at an LPG shop said, “I waited for half an hour, only to be told that the gas would arrive late." He asked, “It’s frustrating. Can’t the gas utility manage their schedules properly so we can prepare ourselves?”

Many people even took to social media to express their anger against the gas utility company. Meanwhile, the SSGC claimed that it was ensuring proper gas supply throughout the meal times, Dawn reported.

Meanwhile, prices of roti and chapati have increased in Karachi as Pakistan continues to experience a severe Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) crisis, further increasing financial burden on people who are already facing difficulty with inflation.

Tandoor owners have hiked prices by Pakistani Rupees (PKR) five, citing higher production costs due to the rise in LPG price, which is widely used in the absence of natural gas, Pakistan's another leading daily, The Express Tribune, reported.

Tandoor owner Manzoor Hussain said the majority of tandoor owners in Karachi have started using LPG, causing an increase in operational costs. "Due to the rise in LPG prices, we have no choice but to increase the rates of roti and chapati," The Express Tribune quoted him as saying.

After the hike, low-weight roti is being sold at PKR 25, heavier roti at PKR 30, and chapati is sold at PKR 20 in various parts of Karachi. People of Karachi have voiced concern over the continuous increase in prices of essential items and urged the government to take immediate steps to control prices and provide relief to the people.

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