KARACHI, Dec 31: The pressure in the gas distribution system has fallen phenomenally as a result of rising gas demand, fuelled by recent cold waves and snow fall in Quetta valley and its adjacent areas , a spokesman of the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) said.

The company was taking all possible measures to increase the supply of gas to the residential customers including the curtailment of gas supply to Habibullah Coastal Power Company and stoppage of gas supply to Wapda Thermal Power Station.

"Additional supplies are also being sent in the Shikarpur-Quetta pipeline but due to capacity constraint, they are not sufficient to meet the total requirement," the spokesman said in a statement.

He said that efforts were underway to overcome the pressure problem including laying down an 18-inch 33-km long pipeline. The project would be completed in two phases.

"In the first phase an 18-inch 18-km long pipeline would be laid down from Abe Gum to Mach during the current fiscal year at a cost of Rs306 million, which is expected to be completed by March 2005. About 7 mmcfd gas would be available from this phase."

In the second phase, which would be completed during the next fiscal year, a 15-km long 18-inch pipeline would be laid down from Mach to Kolpur incurring a cost of Rs335 million. This segment would provide about 8 to 10 mmcfd additional gas.

He further said that after completion of this project, about 15 to 17 mmcfd more gas would be available to meet the increased load of Quetta and its adjacent areas.

The company has also planned to lay down a 18-inch 85-km long loop line in its Quetta Pipeline System at a total cost of Rs2,300 million under its QPCEP III project, the spokesman added.

It has also planned and approved to reinforce its distribution system of low pressure areas by laying another 8-inch 3-km long gas pipeline at Brewery Road and 2.2-km long pipeline at Quary Road. This reinforcement/rehabilitation scheme would incur a cost of Rs95 million.