July 23, 2008	Wednesday	Rajab 19, 1429

KARACHI, July 22: The municipal services group of offices of the city government is facing a crisis-like situation due to the non-availability of fuel required for its 40 fire tenders and some 200 other vehicles being used in de-silting of storm-water drains and lifting of solid waste.Sources said that the city government used to pay fuel bills on a monthly basis but since June 10 it could not make payments to the relevant petrol pumps. The crisis began about a week ago when owners of the fuel stations refused to give fuel to the city government on credit and asked it to release the outstanding payment.

They said that the deduction of funds from the federal and provincial governments to the city government put an additional financial burden delaying the payment of the fuel bill.

Admitting a fuel crisis, Municipal Services EDO Masood Alam told Dawn that in the absence of a cash flow, the city government did not make payment of the fuel bill. However, he said that other reasons like increase in prices of petroleum products and a short of supply from the oil marketing companies were also behind the current crisis.

The sources said that all activities being carried out under the city government’s pre-rain emergency programme had been stopped as the heavy machinery and vehicles had become non-operational in the absence of diesel, petrol and kerosene oil.

Besides, the reserved stock of diesel for 40 operational fire tenders and snorkels is also running out and if the normal supply is not restored immediately, the fire brigade department will not able to send its vehicles anywhere in the city in case of any eventuality.

The sources said that the daily requirement of fuel for 200 dumper loaders was 1,000 litres – 50 litres for one vehicle – while 4,000-litre diesel (100 litres per vehicle) was required on a daily basis to run 40 fire tenders and snorkels.

They said that the shortage had also hit the community police department as its 20 mobile vans had been grounded due to the non-availability of fuel. At present, 20 mobile vans are consuming 25 litres diesel a day.

However, EDO Alam said that currently the fire tenders and snorkels were operational and could meet any eventuality but if the shortage persist it would not be possible for the department to dispatch fire tenders in case of any mishap.

He said that on Tuesday he had managed to arrange fuel for 20 mobile vans of the community police and he was still trying to get diesel to keep 200 dumper loaders operational in order to resume rain emergency work.

All the 18 towns in the city are also facing a crisis due to the recent hike in prices of petroleum products.

Gulberg Town Nazim Mohammad Kamal Malik told Dawn that it was getting difficult to pay the fuel bill even at the previous rates and after the recent hike in petroleum prices it had become almost impossible.

He said that the recent hike in petrol and diesel prices had forced him to impose a 25 per cent and 10 per cent cut in the usage of petrol and diesel respectively.

“Definitely, the deduction in diesel quota to trucks and loaders would affect the overall state of cleanliness in the town,” he added.