Gas crisis in the city
Gas supply in the city, fitful in other seasons, gets more erratic in the winter, causing untold sufferings to the end users. This time it has turned even worse as the consumers are getting much less gas than they need. The crisis becomes particularly acute in the daytime, upsetting the pattern of the residents' everyday life. The plight of private consumers, especially of the children and the elderly, is manifold, for the erratic presence of gas makes life a daily struggle for survival.
There is no denying that a fall in the supply of gas is due mainly to its scarcity at the production level. We understand that the authorities have not been able to gear up the implementation of some important projects, causing a drop in production when it is aligned with an ever increasing demand. This, colleagued with poor planning and widespread pilferage, has led to the ordeal of a constricted supply of gas. To make matters more grievous, the city dwellers have been kept in the dark about the impending crisis, which, there is no reason to believe, the authorities did not see coming.
While in the long run the key to the crisis lies in exploring more gas fields and finding new sources of energy, we believe that, the authorities urgently need to put a plug in the faulty supply lines and illegal connections. Also, private users have to be sensitised about wasteful use of gas. Rationalisation of the use of gas is a must. This is especially so for the nation's burgeoning economy, which demands an increased use of gas in growth-driven sectors. On top of it all, an overhaul of gas supply management plan is the order of the day.
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