Tandoor owners have announced a protest against prolonged hours of gas loadshedding in Lahore.
The protest has been scheduled for September 15 and will take place outside the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) office.
It is pertinent to mention that gas loadshedding has been continuing in Lahore for some time, including during the summer months. Tandoor owners have been facing the issue for nearly a year. However, special gas supplies were provided by the authorities during Ramadan.
Due to gas loadshedding in Lahore, residents are increasingly being forced to use Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), which is significantly more expensive.
Tandoor owners have raised similar concerns, saying that LPG is not available at the official rate in the market. This has forced them to purchase LPG at significantly higher prices, increasing their operating costs and affecting their businesses.
The official LPG price set by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) is around Rs254 to Rs308 per kg, while prices in Lahore’s local market are frequently higher, ranging from Rs360 to Rs450 or more per kg, depending on the area and vendor.
Gas timings in Lahore
SNGPL generally supplies gas to residential areas in Lahore during three main meal-time windows: 6:00am to 9:00am, 12:00pm to 2:00pm, and 6:00pm to 10:00pm.
However, residents in some areas have reported that they are not receiving gas for the full duration of these scheduled timings, further adding to their difficulties.