ISLAMABAD: The problems of domestic as well as commercial consumers have increased with constant low gas pressure throughout the day with a drastic drop in temperature.

A number of families have started using compressors, cylinders, electric roti makers and stoves to cook food.

Besides the issues of domestic consumers, commercial users especially restaurants, hotels and tandoor owners are also facing the same issues in running their businesses.

Shazia, a housewife living in Arya Mohallah Rawalpindi, while talking to this agency, said: “Normally I prefer to cook healthy and hygienic food for my family but now the outage of gas has compelled us to buy unhygienic food from restaurants almost regularly which is affecting the health of my family.”

Many restaurants are also taking advantage of the situation and have increased price of food which badly disturbs the overall budget,” another housewife, Sadia Ali, said.

“The low gas pressure in my area has multiplied my problems as I cannot finish my kitchen work on time and get late from my office almost every day. Restaurants and tandoors are not a good solution as there are long queues outside during breakfast and dinner times which are times of rush for working people,” she added.

Saleem Akram, a resident of G-10/3, said: “My mother is a patient of arthritis which gets more intense during winter. The doctor has advised us to provide heating facility in her room during winter but the outage of gas has compelled us to use electric heaters which are very expensive.”

He said that we were using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as an alternate option but the increase in demand of LPG amid cold weather conditions has created a shortage of LPG and the suppliers have also increased the price of this alternate.

He urged the government and Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) to address the issue and ensure uninterrupted supply of gas especially for domestic consumers.

Laiba Khatoon, another housewife said: “Cylinder and compressors are unsafe options for me as I witnessed a cylinder blast in my area which scared me and I never adopt these options to cook food.

She said: “Since we are facing the problem of gas load shedding I had made it a routine to cook food in the midnight when gas pressure turns normal. I also bought an electric roti maker but its taste is altogether different from the one made on gas.”

Published in Dawn, january 7th, 2023