KARACHI: Sui Southern Gas Company has announced the gas load shedding schedule for Ramadan. The company is facing challenges due to a yearly decline in natural gas reserves, which has led to a continuous shortage in its system.
A spokesperson for Sui Southern Gas Company ( SSGC) said that gas availability timings have been set for Ramadan. Consumers will receive uninterrupted gas supply during Iftar and Sehri. Gas will be available from 3:30 PM to 10:00 PM and from 3:00 AM to 9:00 AM. However, the supply will be stopped from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM and from 10:00 PM to 3:00 AM.
The spokesperson explained that the company has been dealing with a 40 percent reduction in gas supply since the financial year 2017-18. Over the past seven years, a decrease of about 465 MMCFD (million cubic feet per day) in gas has been recorded. Despite this, the company is working hard to provide gas to domestic consumers, especially during cooking hours.
According to the Government of Pakistan’s Economic Coordination Committee-approved load management plan, priority is given to domestic, commercial, and general industrial sectors. Usually, there is no gas load shedding for households, but under the gas management strategy, supply is stopped from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM to maintain line pressure for the next day. This helps ensure better gas pressure during cooking times.
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In Balochistan, the demand for natural gas increases significantly during winter. People use it not only for cooking but also to keep their homes warm in extreme cold. Sui Southern Gas Company takes steps to meet this demand and ensure sufficient gas supply to the province.
To improve its services, the company has started a large rehabilitation program across its franchise areas. Over the past two years, Sui Southern has completed the restoration of 2,200 kilometers of its gas distribution network in areas like Thal, Shahdadkot, Sakrand, Dera Bugti, and parts of Karachi. In the next three years, the company plans to rehabilitate 4,500 kilometers of pipelines to address low-pressure issues, especially in tail-end areas.
In Karachi, two key tail-end areas, Defence and Lyari, are part of this plan. Pipeline restoration in Defence is already complete, while 50 percent of the work in Lyari is done, with the rest expected to finish by June 2025. Work is also underway in North Nazimabad, North Karachi, Hala, Sanghar, Old Sukkur, Kandhkot, and some parts of Hyderabad, with completion expected by June 2025. These efforts aim to improve gas supply for consumers in these regions.
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