Worsening gas shortfall to affect power, industrial sectors

The imminent and anticipated gas crisis is worsening with each passing moment, as it is estimated that the shortfall in the current winter season would reach around 354 million cubic feet, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.

According to official documents, it is the CNG, industrial and power sectors that would face the consequences, as domestic, commercial and textile units are going to get the maximum gas.

It is said that the gas supply for large-scale industrial units would be slashed by 107 million cubic feet followed by seven million and 10 million cubic feet cut for fertiliser factories and ordinary industries respectively.

The news came as the government has been facing severe criticism over the failure to import LNG in the required quantity on time which is going to cost billions of rupees to the exchequer and economy.  

Besides experts and economists, PML-N Vice-president Maryam Nawaz is one of those politicians who has been repeatedly warning that the country would face the worst gas crisis in the coming months.

In her recent speech in Multan, she also mentioned that expensive electricity was being generated through furnace oil instead of cheaper LNG to the advantage of those were in the government which translated into increased power bills for consumers.

Meanwhile, making the power sector to share the burden of the gas shortfall this winter season means that power would be produced through fuels other than LNG, resulting in even more burden on people in the future too.