LAHORE, Jan 4: The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has allocated Rs500 million for maintenance of small diameter pipelines and decided to cut gas supply to cement and fertiliser industry temporarily to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to domestic and commercial consumers.

Governor Khalid Maqbool was told at a briefing on gas supply to domestic, industrial and commercial consumers at the Governor’s House on Friday.

He was told the gas supply would improve ‘in future’ as the federal government had signed an agreement to import 2,000 million cubic feet natural gas a day from Iran. He was told that arrangements were also being made to import liquefied natural gas.

The governor was informed that gas supply to cement and fertiliser industry had been curtailed in view of the 500 million cubic feet shortfall in supplies against 2,301 million cubic feet daily demand in the province. The SNGPL was supplying 1,862 million cubic feet gas to Punjab a day which was ‘enough’ to meet the needs, except in winter when the demand exceeded the supply by 25 per cent.

The governor was told that gas demand in the city was 28 per cent higher this winter compared to the last winter. Steps to solve problems relating to low gas pressure in some areas of Lahore were also reviewed at the briefing.