Gas transmission network being reinforced by laying 25-km additional pipeline in Rawalpindi      

ISLAMABAD: The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Company Limited (SNGPL) has started work to lay 25-kilometer gas pipeline to reinforce its existing transmission network in Rawalpindi aims at ensuring smooth supply of the commodity to domestic and commercial consumers in peak winter season.

The pipeline is being built at a cost of Rs. 40 million to bring down the company’s line losses and redress increasing complaints about low gas pressure, an official source in the company told APP.

Domestic and commercial consumers in various areas of Rawalpindi, including Media Town, Muslim Town, surroundings in Rawal Chowk, Satellite Town, Asghar Mall, Waris Khan, Akaal Garh,Dhoke Dalal, Karimpura, Committee Chowk, Dhoke Khabba, Umer Road, Dhoke Elahi Bukush, Murshid Town, Nadeem Colony, Aryya Mohallah, Pirwadhai, Adiala road, Bakra Mandi, Dhoke Syedan, Dheri Hassanabad, Lal Kurti, Sadiqabad and Shah Khalid Colony Pindora, are constantly complaining of the low gas pressure.

The official said the company was aware of the difficulties being faced by the consumers.

He said the low gas pressure issue was a temporary phenomenon as required measures were underway to enure regular gas pressure till the tail-end.

According to an official data available with APP, the SNGPL and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) have planned to lay around 12,898 kilometer additional transmission and distribution pipelines during the current fiscal year.

During the last fiscal year, the SNGPL and SSGC had provided around 650,339 new connections and laid 14,168 km transmission and distribution pipelines in their network.

Pakistan has an extensive gas network of over 12,829 km transmission, 132,065 km distribution and 34,631 services pipelines to cater the requirement of more than 8.9 million consumers across the country, adding that around 48 percent energy-mix needs of the country were being met through natural gas.