PESHAWAR: The supply of natural gas to domestic consumers has improved after the closure of 542 CNG stations in different regions of the province, claimed the public utility on Monday.

According to the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, it has 70mmcfd additional gas for households since January 1 when the supply to filling stations was suspended on the government’s orders.

The residents appreciated the government’s initiative and demanded its extension to the entire winter season.

“Gas supply to our locality [Nauthia] was next to nil before Jan 1 forcing us to buy the expensive liquefied petroleum gas to cook food and heat premises and that, too, at an exorbitant rate. However, the restriction on gas supply to CNG stations has improved the situation,” resident Saleem Khan told Dawn.

Inam Khan, a nanbai in Gulberg area, also confirmed better gas supply saying the issue has been resolved.

People say filling stations should not get supply in entire winter

However, transporters, especially auto-rickshaw drivers, increased fares citing the closure of CNG stations as the reason.

According toa spokesmanfor the SNGPL, gas supply has been suspended to 188 CNG stations in Peshawar district, 156 in Mardan, Nowshera, Malakand and Swabi, 131 in Abbottabad, Haripur and Mansehra, and 67 in Charsadda and Kohat.

He said that the closure of CNG stations had made 35mmcfd more gas available in Peshawar division alone for domestic consumers.

The spokesman said that the public utility had received complaints from its domestic consumers from Warsak Road, University Road and city areas of Peshawar, especially during “peak hours”, but gas diversion from CNG stations had resolved the issue.

He said that gas supply to domestic consumers was the CNGPL’s top priority.

“We hope that the one-month closure of CNG stations will address the gas problem amid its winter surge,” he said.

The gas supply to CNG stations was suspendedon Jan 1for 31 days with the administration attributing the move to poor gas supply to domestic consumers amid complaints of low pressure.

According to an official statement of the administration, the deputy commissioner imposed the CNG station restriction after receiving letters from the SNGPL general manager and bosses of the home and tribal affairs department about a plunge in gas supply due to a drop in the temperatures.

“Gas supply to consumers is the top priority in the peak winter. It is imperative to impose a complete ban on operations of CNG stations to ensure sufficient gas supply to domestic consumers in the provincial capital,” the administration said in the statement.

It warned that violators of the restriction would be acted against under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Meanwhile, the commuters complained that taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers had increased fares on their own just a day after the decision on the closure of CNG stations was made.

They urged authorities to crack down on the illegal practice.

When contacted, Urban Transport Union president Khan Zaman Afridi insisted that the union didn’t notify fare hike and that the transporters using petrol had begun charging commuters more than routine to meet expenses.

He demanded of authorities to revise fares for petrol transport vehicles to the relief of their owners.

Published in Dawn, january 3th, 2023