LAHORE: Progressive Group has urged the government to resolve prevailing natural gas crisis and ensure uninterrupted supply to domestic consumers and industrial sector especially textile.
Progressive Group Chairman Khalid Usman, Vice President Abdul Wadood Alvi and Secretary Information Muhammad Ejaz Tanveer, in a statement, expressed their concern over the natural gas crisis hitting simultaneously domestic and industrial consumers across the province. They said that despite tall claims of SNGPL authorities, consumers in Punjab are constantly facing the worst spells of low gas pressure. At present, various Punjab cities and towns, including Lahore, are facing either extremely low gas pressure or complete absence of gas.
According to SNGPL, gas pipeline explosion also caused about 1900 million cubic feet (mmcf) shortfall.
They said, “On the other hand, no action is being taken against massive usage of which is adding to the gravity of the situation. The industry stakeholders are bearing losses of millions of dollars because of suspension of gas over a long period of time while our most earning sector textile value chain is unable to meet commitments on orders.”
Progressive Group leaders said that besides closure of industry because of this crisis thousands of industrial workers are jobless across the Punjab. Especially, they said, the situation has become worst for the Punjab-based textile industry due to simultaneous electricity load shedding in the province. They appealed to the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to intervene in to the matter for improving the situation and ensuring immediate restoration of gas supply to the Punjab-based industry especially textile in the larger interest of country’s exports.
Khalid Usman, Abdul Wadood Alvi and Ejaz Tanveer also urged the government to pay attention towards developing mega dams and water reservoirs in the country as it is the only way to ensure production of cheaper energy.
