LAHORE: With temperature dropping sharply and gas shortages worsening in the city, the nerves of the Lahorites frayed on Friday, triggering protests at two places in the northern part of the city.

The localities of Misri Shah and Aik Moria Pul suffered worse shortage where women led the protest. Though no official word from the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) was available, its officials admitted off the record that the shortfall had gone well beyond 50pc of total capacity with drop in mercury.

The situation in the other parts of the city was not good either as localities like Johar Town, Gulberg, areas falling on the Ferozepur and Bund roads suffered badly as well.

“Almost 60pc of the city suffered severe shortages, with the rest of them suffering low supplies,” explains an SNGPL official. There is hardly anything that the company could do about it. It had only 1,300mmcfd available against rising demand which was more than 3,000mmcfd on Friday. In the city alone, the shortage had gone beyond 800mmcfd against total demand of 1,800mmcfd.

“Under the circumstances, the only option available with the company is watch the situation worsening helplessly,” the official admitted and said, “there is no gas and the demand is rising with every passing day. The situation may worsen even more as metrological forecast predicts further drop in the mercury.”

“The problem is not only with the overall shortage but mismanagement, as well,” laments Malik Naeem – a resident of Chah Miran.

Countless influential people had illegally installed gas-driven generators and even complaints with the company staff did not attract any action because all was happening with their connivance, he said.

As if it was not enough, some people were using gadgets at home that could draw the maximum gas from pipes and deprive others of it. Such equipment were not normal in the city and contribute hugely to the crisis, Naeem said, adding that the company officials were helpless because their own staff were in involved in the theft and installation of such gadgets.

“For how long one can survive on biting cold water, no cooking at home, no warmth in cold that sends chill down the spine,” wonders Muhammad Umer of Gulberg. Life had almost come to standstill with merciless drop in temperature and the other alternative for those who were well off was the Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) but its prices, which touched Rs160 per kg– an increase of almost 50 per cent in the last two weeks – had become a big deterrent, he said.

Published in Dawn December 20th , 2014