Gas supply to industrial units disrupted in Karachi

KARACHI: The gas supply disruption has now hit industries after residential areas which crippled production-line of a large number of industrial units in Karachi, ARY News reported on Monday.

The production activities in various industrial areas have suspended due to the acute gas shortages due to disruption in gas supply to the industries located in SITE, Korangi, Landhi and Federal B Area. The industrial areas of the metropolis are facing the gas load shedding for eight to 10 hours in a day.

SITE Association of Industry’s vice president warned of a major halt in production activities following the gas supply disruption that will threaten timely fulfilment of export commitments.

Riazuddin criticised that industries are still facing gas shortages despite paying Rs930 per mmBtu.

Read: Entire Karachi bewails gas crisis but SSGC denies any gas shortage

Following the worsening situation, Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) president said that industries will not accept any interruption in gas supplies.

On the other hand, it is being feared that Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) will get only 50 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) of gas due to delay in purchases of Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG).

Gas outages in the port city continue to halt day-to-day activities making people’s lives miserable in winters as people can hardly avail the utility supply when they need it most.

The worst form of gas load shedding would not stop testing the patience of Karachi people and some areas of the metropolis complain the utility unavailability turning into a utility crisis.

Even in other parts of Sindh and Balochistan, the demand for domestic gas on the premise of cold weather has hiked so much that just Quetta now requires 250 mmcfd from previously 200 mmcfd.

Read: 12 LNG cargoes arranged for Jan 2021: petroleum division

For Karachi, the fuel supply falls short by 300 mmcfd as the required demand is 1500 mmcfd.

Karachi is hardly supplied 12mmcfd of the utility due to which a crisis like situation has emerged wherein some areas face low pressure if any while many report outright unavailability of the utility.

Other than the domestic users, Karachi’s commercial units and sectors also report the misery of non-existent gas or extra-schedule load shedding.

The residents of areas including Chakiwara, Baldia Town, Ittehad Town, Qaim Khani Colony are also suffering gas crisis due to dilapidated line network.

Landhi, Pak Colony, Keamarim Burns Road, Defense, Shah Faisal Colony, Malir, North Karachi, Lyari, Garden, North Nazimabad, Saddar, and Korangi are amongst the areas whose residents and commercial units endure the shortage alike.