PESHAWAR, Jan 9: General Manager of Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) Pesha-war region, Imdad Hussain has said there is no loadshedding of gas in the province and attributed the current low gas pressure to the persisting cold wave in Punjab.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, he said the demand of gas has increased four times than its regular supply due to the persisting unusual cold spell in Punjab and parts of the NWFP.

He said the other main reason of low gas pressure in Peshawar region was that it was situated at the tail end. He said keeping in view the imbalance in demand and supply and making the transmission system operative and supply of gas to 140 industrial units in the NWFP and Punjab has been stopped.

He said it was a painful decision but the department had no other option but to give relief to the domestic consumers.

The system was running smoothly all over the country and whatever we get from the fields was being supplied to the consumers, he added.

He said the company received 1,080 million cubic feet gas out of which 1,069 million cubic feet was supplied to the domestic consumers and the rest to the industrial sector. But the company has decided to cut the supply to the industrial sector keeping in view the problems faced by the domestic consumers, he added.

He said the company purchased gas at the rate of Rs 120 per unit and sold it to the domestic consumers at the rate of Rs 91 per unit giving a subsidy of Rs 39 per unit.

Keeping in view of the sensitivity of the situation, the GM urged the domestic consumers to avoid the unnecessary use of geysers and heaters, particularly keep the geysers off during the nights.

The official said that a new gas pipeline form Khushal Kot, Nowshera to Tarnab had been laid down at a cost of Rs 130 million, and another line was being laid from Khazana Sugar Mills to overhead bridge in the city costing Rs 60 million.

The laying of these two pipelines would improve the distribution system in the region, he added.

The GM said low gas pressure was affecting both the Punjab and NWFP provinces and would continue during the next two week.—APP