I HAVE been a consumer of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) (Consumer No.

6171760000) for over half a century. Gas loadshedding started as soon as the winter season started, but the supply to our house has been completely shut off since Dec 15, 2022.

The prime minister had issued orders to supply gas from 6am to 9am, 12pm to 2pm, and 6pm to 9pm even during the loadshedding phase. But it is surprising that SSGC did not follow the prime minister`s orders.

Due to the sudden discontinuation of gas supply, it became impossible to run the kitchen at home. I was compelled to purchase a small gas cylinder and stove to keep things going on a temporary basis, but as this local stove was substandard and dangerous, on the advice of a friend, I spent a huge sum ofRs11,000 and purchased online a standard fibreglass cylinder of SSGC.

After this temporary arrangement, I lodged a number of complaints with SSGC helpline 1199 about the discontinuation of regular supply, but no action was taken. I then lodged a complaint with the SSGC website, but nobody paid any attention.

Frustrated, I finally approached the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) in Islamabad through its web portalon Jan2forthe resolution ofthe problem. The authority issued me a complaint identification (No.57/2023), assuring through a letter dated Jan 11 that the issue would be resolved soon. It also marked the complaint to the SSGC managing director to look into the matter, and directed him to submit a report to Ogra within 30 days along with my note of satisfaction.

I anxiously waited for the SSGC team to come and restore the supply to my house, but it never came. I once again approachedOgraonFeb13,and, surprisingly, this time the response from Ogra was rather cold and disappointing.

As a result, despite timely payment of monthly bills and repeated complaints to SSGC and Ogra, I continue to survive without natural gas.

Currently, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) costs Rs310 per 1(g and the daily gas expenditure is 1kg which is a heavy burden on the pocket of a retired person. Besides, the use of LPG gas cylinders in kitchens is extremely unsafe for human life, and many cases of cylinder explosions have resulted in the loss of human lives and property.The relevant authorities need to move promptly to restore gas supply to my house and save me from unnecessary, heavy and almost unaffordable expenditure.

Israr Ayoubi Karachi