Gas shortage starts affecting households

By Our Correspondent
ISLAMABAD : Several areas of Rawalpindi city have been facing a shortage of gas supply in the last couple of days with people resorting to using compressors to suck gas from pipelines.
A shortage of gas in these areas has forced people to use firewood to cook their food. The people were seen visiting firewood shops, waiting their turn to get wood to burn as their household gas supply was severely disrupted. The people have alleged that the situation was getting worse with each passing day as no efforts were being made to address this problem.
“I am a poor person and everything has become so expensive. As a daily wager, I barely earn Rs700 a day. Now should I buy food for my children or buy firewood at high prices,” Awais Khan, a resident of the PWD area.
He said “The prices are high and the poor families cannot afford to buy firewood as they are already struggling to cope with soaring food prices and incomes that declined in recent years. The government should take notice of the situation and restore gas supply at the earliest.”
The prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) are also affecting all segments of society because even better-off families are also struggling to cope with the high prices of gas. The people living in areas hit by the gas shortage problem were forced to pay exorbitant rates for LPG as the price of the commodity has been jacked up.
Munawar Ahmad, a resident of Dhoke Hassu, said “The people are seen carrying firewood on their heads and it looks like a scene from an ancient age. If we are facing this kind of situation in November then what will happen in extremely cold conditions.”