- SSGC now supplies household gas only during breakfast, lunch and dinner windows.
- The company's availability has dropped to about 605mmcfd from 695mmcfd last year.
- Around 300mmcfd goes to domestic users; the rest serves industry, power and fertiliser.
- The MD blames illegal compressors and suction pumps for low pressure in some areas.
The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has restricted gas to households to three meal-time windows each day. Managing Director Muhammad Amin Rajput said the step was unavoidable because indigenous production has been shrinking for years.
He said national gas output has fallen by roughly 50 per cent over the past decade. Imported LNG has also been difficult to obtain since April because of the Iran war, he added.
Why supply is confined to cooking hours
Mr Rajput said SSGC's gas availability has slipped to around 605 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) as fields deplete. The figure stood at 695mmcfd last year.
Of the current volume, about 300mmcfd goes to domestic consumers. The remainder is supplied to the industrial, power and fertiliser sectors.
The utility has chosen breakfast, lunch and dinner windows so that every household receives gas when it is needed most. Mr Rajput said the company has been monitoring availability continuously since last week.
By focusing on supply during cooking hours, the company can protect domestic consumers
Muhammad Amin Rajput, Managing Director, SSGC
Complaints of low flame in Karachi
The SSGC chief said domestic supply in Karachi is adequate. Residents in many areas, however, have complained that the flame is too weak for cooking.
Mr Rajput argued that a localised problem should not be generalised across the whole network. SSGC serves 3.2 million customers in Sindh and Balochistan, including two million in Karachi.
| Measure | Karachi | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Pipeline network (km) | 16,000 | 50,000 |
| Customers | 2 million | 3.2 million |
Compressors and suction pumps blamed
Mr Rajput attributed the low pressure to the illegal use of gas compressors and suction pumps. He warned that such devices can draw away the supply of an entire block or building.
He said substandard devices also create safety risks and have caused property damage, and at times even loss of life. He urged consumers to report their use, saying removal would help restore pressure during supply hours.
He added that the devices may inflate bills by distorting meter readings.
Pipeline repairs and tighter RLNG
SSGC rehabilitated about 7,000 kilometres of distribution pipelines in 2025-26, replacing ageing and corroded lines, mostly in Karachi. Mr Rajput said this has improved pressure at tail-end locations and reduced unaccounted-for gas.
The situation has been made harder by a substantial drop in RLNG supplies from Qatar. The Petroleum Division has secured limited volumes for other critical needs, including the power and fertiliser sectors.
With these competing demands on a shrinking supply, careful management and allocation of available resources are needed.
Questions and answers
Why has SSGC limited household gas to meal times?
SSGC says indigenous gas production has fallen about 50 per cent in a decade and imported LNG has been scarce since April because of the Iran war. Meal-time windows ensure households get gas when they need it most.
How much gas does SSGC have and who receives it?
SSGC's availability is around 605mmcfd, down from 695mmcfd last year. About 300mmcfd goes to domestic consumers, and the rest to industry, power and fertiliser.
What causes low gas pressure in some areas?
The SSGC chief blames illegal compressors and suction pumps, which can drain supply from a whole block or building. He urged consumers to report their use.
Image: Lisafern / Wikimedia Commons, CC0
