LAHORE, Jan 10: The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited on Friday threatened that it would go for slab-billing — higher tariff for higher consumption — if the consumers continued to take gas supply for granted.

SNGPL managing director Rashid Lone told reporters that people used gas as a luxury instead of a necessity, stretching demand much beyond the supply.

The demand has currently gone up to 1,400 million acre cubic feet against a supply of 1,050 million cubic feet.

The company has stopped supplies to 132 industrial units to save around 300 million cubic feet of gas but is still left with a deficit of 40 million cubic feet, which it is trying to meet through its reserves.

However, he feared, if the cold spell lasted for a few more days, the company would have to stop supplies to more industrial units.

The company has around 2,500 industries on its network.

He said that in addition to wastage of gas, the company also had to put up with 200 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations that were supplied around 40 million cubic feet of gas. It has to provide 100,000 new connections every year, which increase consumption by another 20 million cubic feet.

During winter, the supply increases by at least 50 million cubic feet despite the fact that 300 million cubic feet of supplies to the industries are cut. There is no way for the SNGPL to meet these requirements until Sept 2003 when new fields in Sindh will be connected to the national supply network. They will provide around 400 million cubic feet of gas.

About the slab system, Mr Lone said 39 per cent of domestic consumers falling in the first and second “slabs” would not be affected even if the company recommended it.

About the current shortage, he said the company had suspended all development works and diverted its manpower to dealing with day-to-day complaints. Eight teams have been formed to manage the city supplies. These teams are mostly draining the condensate from the system and helping restore the flow of gas.

The MD hoped that the company would not have to cut supplies to more industries as the demand had already touched its peak. However, he feared that the situation might change if the sun did not show up in the next few days.

He said the company had only a nine-month contract for supply of gas to industries. Winter cuts were part of the contract, he maintained.