SWABI: Timber traders across the district have increased firewood price by Rs100 per 50 kilogram amid prolonged gas loadshedding.

Consumers on Tuesday said they had been confronting unannounced gas loadshedding in the peak hours in the evenings and mornings for the last one month, forcing them to use firewood for cooking and heating.

“About two weeks back we purchased firewood at Rs400 per 50kg but now the same could be gotten at Rs500. The wood of quality trees could cost more,” Nazir Mohammad of Panjpir village, complained.

Timber traders increased the fuel wood price after its demand surged, Javid Khan of Maneri disclosed.

The consumers said the gas loadshedding troubled the women a lot as they faced hardships in making breakfast for schoolchildren and other family members. “The women have to finish making breakfast before 6am, the hour when gas loadshedding starts. And if they failed to do so, they have to end up using wood for cooking, which is a cumbersome task,” a consumer complained.

“The problem is that as the women have become used to with gas for cooking, it becomes extremely troublesome for them to use the fuel wood for the purpose,” another consumer said.

People complained that as there was no local office of SNGPL, their complaints often went unattended in the utility’s office located in Mardan.

A number of consumers of Maneri, proper Swabi city, Zaida, Topi, Karnal Sher Kili and various other localities accused the SNGPL staff of carrying loadshedding at their own sweet will.

They lamented that they experienced prolonged power loadshedding in summer and gas loadshedding in winter, and held the government responsible for the mess. Local traders said the SNGPL officials failed to respond to their several complaints about gas loadshedding. They demanded of the petroleum ministry and high-ups of SNGPL to stop unjustified gas loadshedding in the district.

Meanwhile, the SNGPL staff removed gas meters from those houses which failed to pay monthly bills on time, during surprise visits to various colonies of Tarbela Dam and Topi tehsil.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2016