KARACHI: The gas crisis gripping Karachi for the past four days worsened on Monday, leaving several neighbourhoods without any gas supply and others struggling with critically low pressure, further intensifying the winter ordeal for residents.
With minimum temperatures dropping to 8.1 degrees Celsius, according to the Met Office, office-goers, students and families continued to suffer from cold kitchens and disrupted daily routines. Residents across the city said the cold spell once again exposed serious flaws in the gas utility’s distribution system, turning routine household life into a daily struggle.
“How long will Karachi tolerate a utility that cannot even secure its own gas supply?” questioned a frustrated housewife from Gulistan-i-Jauhar. A resident of Nazimabad, where gas outages lasted several hours, said the utility repeated the same explanations every winter while citizens bore the consequences.
As gas pressure plunged, many households were forced to rely on costly LPG cylinders as a temporary solution, adding to their financial burden at a time of rising living costs. Delayed breakfasts, disrupted school schedules and inconvenience to the elderly became widespread across the city.
Pakistan Peoples Party’s Sindh General Secretary, Senator Waqar Mehdi, expressed grave concern over the persistent gas shutdowns, low pressure and power outages across Sindh, particularly in Karachi. In a statement, he said residents continued to face gas cuts and unreliable supply regardless of weather conditions, whether during extreme heat or biting cold.
Calling for immediate intervention, Senator Mehdi urged the prime minister to take notice of the ongoing gas shutdowns in Karachi and demanded strict action against those responsible. He also criticised the gas utility for issuing hefty bills despite failing to provide reliable service.
Meanwhile, the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) acknowledged the disruption, citing a reduction in gas supply from two fields. A company spokesperson said the shortfall amounted to around 45 million cubic feet per day, leading to low pressure in several areas, though conditions had begun to improve over the past hour.
To manage the situation, SSGC suspended gas supply to Fauji Fertiliser and curtailed supplies to industries on Sunday to prioritise domestic consumers. The utility claimed it was supplying 28 MMcf/d more gas to households this winter compared to last year, but noted that a sharp drop in temperatures had severely impacted system line pack.
The spokesperson said the situation was being closely monitored and that any restoration of gas from the affected fields would be immediately directed towards domestic consumers.
Story by Tahir Siddiqui
