Reduced gas supply in Karachi has exacerbated hardships for residents as the city grapples with an intensifying cold wave, local officials and households reported. Despite a significant drop in temperatures over recent days, many neighbourhoods are facing intermittent or curtailed gas deliveries, leaving families struggling to heat their homes and prepare warm meals during frigid early mornings and nights.
Consumers said limited gas pressure has particularly affected areas dependent on piped natural gas for cooking and heating, forcing some residents to rely on bottled gas, electric heaters or charcoal stoves at higher expense. Health experts warned that vulnerable groups including children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions are at heightened risk due to prolonged exposure to cold conditions, especially where proper warmth and insulation are lacking.
Officials from the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) indicated that supply constraints are linked to broader system pressures and seasonal demand spikes, but assured efforts are underway to stabilise distribution. Meanwhile, civic groups and local legislators urged authorities to prioritise gas supply to residential areas most affected by the cold spell and to consider targeted relief measures for low-income households.
The combination of reduced gas availability and near-record low temperatures has intensified calls for improved contingency planning to protect public health and ensure essential energy access during extreme weather events.