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ISLAMABAD: Human ingenuity is coming to the help of the hapless people of northern Pakistan to overcome the misery brought by the gas shortage in their region.
'This is a new crisis that we have ever faced, said Asmat Zehra, a resident of Rawalpindi. 'We have seen prolonged electricity outages, severe water scarcity but there has never been 16-18-hour-long gas loadshedding daily.
For many areas, mainly in northern Punjab, where mercury has been hovering around zero degree Celsius, people are taking to various means not only for heating but also for cooking.
'Most of the time my husband does the cooking after midnight; however, I keep all the raw materials prepared for it,' she said.Like Ms Zehra, the situation has forced many households to shun the traditional taboo that it's the women who are in-charge of the kitchen come what may. Everyone, even children are making adjustments in their lifestyles.
'Since it is cold after the evening, we all huddle together in one room for warmth,' said a child, Mahnoor who lives in Pindora locality ofRawalpindi. Some have no other options but to place the cooking pot on the gas stove and wait for hours as it has a very low flame.
Apart from the adjustments in their routine life, people are also seeking different ways to cope with the severe gas shortage though many of these 'innovations' are either illegal or socially not acceptable.
COMPRESSORS: The most common gadget used to improve gas pressure is the attachment of fridge compressors with the gas pipeline.
With the inlet fixed to the gas connection, the outlet of the compressor is attached with the stove or burner and it pulls the gas with pressure.
'This is the most cost effective way to have gas either for cooking or heating,' said a seller at an electronic market near Naz Cinema in Rawalpindi. Though not very reliable, the compressors are gaining popularity mainly among workshops etc. However, two main reasons for limited popularity of the compressors are its prices and unreliability.
Costing between Rs6,000 and Rs11,000 depending on the size and brand the compressors are not considered as a cheap option for the ordinary household.
The other key reason why people tend not to use the compressors for pulling gas is the risk attached to it.
'I always feel uneasy leaving my wife and children with an electric appliance pulling and pushing gas all near the stove,' said a LPG cylinder buyer in Karachi Company, Islamabad.
TRANSFORMERS: As the gas shortage worsened with the onset of the chilling weather, the Chinese transformers are the latest and the newest introduction in the market.
Originally built to regulate the flow of gas from any source, including LPG cylinders for heaters, these electricity-operated transformers have functions similar to the compressors but with a regulator to maintain the outflow level.
'The fridge compressors are like time bombs. If the gas pressure increases what will happen to the burner: you can imagine yourself, said Saeed Ahmed, the owner of an electronic appliances shop in Karachi Company. 'But this device has pressure levels and also controls the outflow like the electricity transformer.
Either the Chinese sellers saw its market in Pakistan or the importers were looking to make fortune from these gas transformers: it is safer, handy and comes at a comparatively cheaper price at around Rs3,500 per piece. But the Chinese state-of-the-art product has no working guarantee.
However, like the compressors, the use of transformers is not only illegal but is also unethical as these appliances suck in all the gas from the area pipelines leaving nothing for other houses.
FIRE POT: The prolonged and regular gas shortage has made another turn in social fabrics and expertise of senior citizens. Those who have spent time in rural areas are for burning fire in traditional 'anghitee.
Though the art of lighting and maintaining the fire pot is ahnost forgotten in the urban areas, a large number of people are again turning to it.
'First we burn pieces of wood in a tray on the roof and when the fire becomes charcoal and all its toxic smoke is gone, we bring the tray inside to warm the house,' said Riffat Abbasi, of Rawalpindi. She learned all these skills as a young girl in her parents' house in Murree.
'But it is very difficult during rain as we do not have enough space for such kind of work in city houses,' she added. 'Besides, it is always a hassle to wash those smoke-coated vessels.
The demand for firewood has made even the junk furniture and other combustible items costly, whereas commercial users are buying wood at around Rs450 per 40 kilogrammes. The prices have gone up by Rs100 in one month and continue to rise.
Despite various methods and practices being adopted by the citizens, the most common and comfortable alternative to natural gas is the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). However, due to its soaring prices, the residents are not in a position to use it.
