LAHORE, Nov 25: With winter still to properly set in in Punjab plains, low gas pressure and even complaints of loadshedding have started emerging from urban areas of the province, especially Lahore.

Some parts of the city, like Gulberg and Cantonment, were first to register such complaints on Friday. Both areas have huge number of compressed natural gas (CNG) filling stations, which was adding to the problem.

The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) conceded a shortfall of 450 million cubic feet (mmcf), and said complaints of low pressure had been there and the company was working things out.

“In northern parts of the country, winter has set in fully and geysers and heater are now on,” says SNGPL Managing Director Arif Hamid.

The CNG filling stations were adding to problems in the plains. But the company was fully aware of the situation and was trying hard to keep supplies smooth within the available quantity, he said.

However, consumers have different ideas. They think that mismanagement, corruption and failure of policies have come to haunt them like never before, and all of them have converged on one point to create a crisis now.

“It is still not winter and the SNGPL is reporting 20 to 25 per cent shortfall,” says a resident of Gulberg. Wait for a week and shortfall would rise to 50 per cent, bringing everything to a standstill. Excuses would steam in, but gas would not be available to people. Even now, there was no gas, or abysmally low pressure, during the noon, he added.