QUETTA: Prolonged gas shortages amid a severe cold spell triggered protests in parts of the provincial capital on Saturday, as residents blocked roads and burned tyres against low pressure and supply suspensions, while Siberian winds continued to lash Quetta and other towns in northern and central parts of the province following rain and snowfall last week.
The severe cold has reduced gas supply in several areas, causing serious difficulties for residents trying to keep their homes warm. The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has been implementing loadshedding in Quetta and surrounding areas from midnight to 5am.
People in Kalat, Mastung, Ziarat, Pishin and several other areas are also facing similar gas shortages amid the ongoing cold spell.
However, residents say many localities in the provincial capital and its outskirts are not receiving gas properly even outside these hours. “We are getting gas for a very limited time without any timetable,” Mehmood Khan, a resident of the Sariab area, told Dawn, adding that the situation worsened after winter rain and snowfall on the mountains surrounding the Quetta valley.
Several localities in the main city area are also facing low or no gas supply from SSGC as temperatures plunged to between minus five and minus seven degrees Celsius. “We have no option but to purchase gas cylinders to keep our houses warm and for cooking,” Mansoor Ahmed, a resident of the posh Samungli Housing Scheme, said.
Amid the worsening situation, residents of the Sariab area, who have been facing the most severe gas shortages, staged a protest against low gas pressure and prolonged supply suspensions. Protesters burned tyres and erected barricades, blocking the road and bringing all types of traffic to a complete halt.
The protest came during an intense cold spell, with citizens facing severe hardship due to reduced gas pressure. The temperature in Quetta dropped to minus three degrees Celsius, while in Kalat it plunged to minus eight degrees Celsius.
Over the past several days of extreme cold, people in Quetta and surrounding areas — particularly the elderly, women and children — have been suffering because of gas shortages and outages.
Protesters said they had repeatedly informed SSGC officials about the low gas pressure, but no action was taken. In response, residents blocked the main Sabzal Road by burning tyres and placing obstacles, demanding the immediate restoration of adequate gas supply.
They said gas pressure in Killi Ferozabad and adjoining areas had dropped significantly, compounding their difficulties during the harsh winter.
