'Cooking is nearly impossible': People in Pakistan's Hyderabad on gas outages
Islamabad, June 8
People in Hyderabad city of Pakistan's Sindh province have not been receiving gas supply during the nine-hour daily schedule announced by the gas utility, sparking concern among residents, especially women, who are struggling to manage household work amid scorching heat, local media reported on Monday.
As per Sui Southern Gas Company's (SSGC) schedule, gas should be supplied for three hours each in the morning, afternoon and night. However, residents from several areas of Hyderabad have said that the gas utility company has not been able to supply gas during this limited schedule, Pakistan-based daily The Express Tribune reported.
In some of the areas which received a gas supply, residents complained of extremely low pressure that made cooking nearly impossible. According to the residents, gas pipelines during the scheduled time carry only air for 15-20 minutes before gas starts to flow. Women said they repeatedly light stoves to check if the gas supply has begun, leaving burners open so the air can escape, leading to a rise in monthly bills as the meter keeps running.
A resident of Latifabad complained, "We are paying for air in our gas bills while spending hours in the kitchen to cook a single meal."
The shortage of gas supply has resulted in an increase in sales of electric stoves, induction cooktops, ceramic cookers, solar ovens and domestic LPG cylinders, which have a capacity of 2-12 kilograms, The Express Tribune reported. Furthermore, people are also buying fibreglass LPG cylinders as they are lighter and rust-proof.
Earlier in May, people in Sindh's Karachi faced disruption of water supply along with gas and electricity outages during the three-day festivities of Eidul Azha, Pakistan's other leading daily, Dawn, reported.
Taps remained dry, gas pressure remained low, and there was a disruption of power supply in several parts of Karachi, leaving residents distressed and angry at the three utilities due to their inability to ensure supply during Eid festivities.
Residents in several parts of Karachi reported no gas or extremely low pressure while the gas company claimed that they were providing an uninterrupted supply during Eid, Dawn reported.
Similarly, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) said it had restored the 650 million-gallon-per-day (MGD) supply on the eve of Eid. However, residents reported facing a water shortage in several areas of Karachi.
People also complained of power outages in several areas of Karachi, despite K-Electric claiming that "no unannounced loadshedding was carried out in any part of the city."
— IANS
Reader Comments
I'm glad people are switching to electric stoves and LPG cylinders. Desperate times call for desperate measures. But what about the ones who can't afford these alternatives? Basic gas supply should be a right, not a luxury. The SSGC needs serious accountability. 😕
I recall similar stories from parts of India during peak summer, but this systematic failure in Hyderabad (Pakistan) is alarming. The 'air in the pipes' complaint is tragic. Women spending hours cooking one meal? That's not just an inconvenience, it's a health hazard in this heat. Infrastructure mismanagement hurts common people the most.
This is exactly why we need to invest in renewable energy like solar. The shift to electric stoves and solar ovens is a silver lining. But the government should provide subsidies for these alternatives, not just let people fend for themselves. Also, the meter running while only air flows? That's borderline theft. 😡
I have family in Karachi. They told me about the Eid chaos—water, gas, electricity all failing at once is a nightmare. It's not just Hyderabad; this seems systemic in Sindh. I hope Indian planners learn from this: reliable utility supply is not optional, it's essential. Otherwise, we'll see similar crises during our summers. 🤔
The resilience of these women is incredible but it shouldn't be necessary. Imagine having to check the stove every few minutes in 40°C heat, worrying about bills mounting for air. It's a basic failure of governance. While we criticise our own systems,
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