QUETTA: The gas supply, which had been suspended in Quetta and other towns and cities of Balochistan on Wednesday following the sabotage of an 18-inch diameter main pipeline, has been restored after 36 hours.

A spokesman for Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) stated in a late Thursday night announcement that the damaged gas pipeline has been successfully replaced. After testing the repairs, gas supply was restored to Quetta and other towns and cities in northern Balochistan, he added.

“SSGC engineers and other staff despite harsh weather conditions have completed repairing work before its scheduled time and restored gas supply to all areas which have been affected by the pipeline blast. We regret the inconvenience caused by this unfortunate incident and appreciate the cooperation of our customers,” the statement said.

The supply was suspended after the main gas pipeline on the outskirts of Quetta was damaged by a blast. The 18-inch diameter pipeline was blown up in the Akhtarabad area of the Western Bypass, with explosives planted under it.

The areas affected by the gas disruption included Kuchlak, Ziarat, Bostan, Yaro, Karbala, Haramzai, Pishin, Khanozai, and parts of Quetta such as Airport Road, Nawa Killi, Jinnah Town, A-One City and Hazar Ganji.

The Counter-Terrorism Dep­art­­­ment has registered a case against unknown people for the sabotage.

Residents faced severe difficulties as temperatures dropped to minus 6°C, exacerbated by Siberian winds that have been sweeping through the region for the past week. The Met Office has warned that temperatures are expected to fall further over the next 24 hours.

Long queues were seen at LPG shops as people in Quetta and surrounding areas, who had been without gas since the pipeline explosion, sought to refill small cylinders for cooking and heating. Gas dealers, taking advantage of the disruption, raised LPG prices from Rs200-250 per kg to Rs300-350.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2024