KARACHI: SSGC’s zero tolerance for gas theft has continued with ongoing anti-gas theft searches across its franchise regions in Sindh and Balochistan.
In places like as Yousuf Sahib Khan Goth, Ghareeb Nawaz Colony, and Maymar Hijri, SSGC’s Customer Relations Department (CRD) uncovered rubber pipes being used illegally to distribute gas to 150 residences. The estimated annual stolen volume was 144,000 cm (Rs. 4,500,000/- in monetary terms). During the raid, the team unplugged two service risers as well as unlawful connections.
In Quetta, Karachi, CRD detected obvious theft using rubber pipes to unlawfully provide gas to 42 households. The raiding crew destroyed the links in a quick operation. The approximate amount of steal determined was 40,320 cm per year (Rs. 1,260,000/-). Since then, the region has been strictly monitored to deter gas theft.
Meanwhile, gas theft was detected in blocks 3–5 of Nazimabad, Karachi, where homeowners had expanded an illegal gas supply system using rubber pipes to benefit 65 consumers. All connections were severed during the raid. The approximate annual volume of theft in the region was found to be 62,400 cm (Rs. 1,950,000).
In another Karachi neighbourhood, people had installed an illegal gas line using rubber pipes to link 50 homes. The estimated stolen volume was 48,000 cm per year (Rs. 1,500,000/-). CRD conducted another raid at Chapel Garden flats in Karachi’s Central Zone, where gas was unlawfully delivered to 20 households using rubber pipes. The raiding party removed unlawful connections. The approximate volume determined was 19,200 cm per year (equivalent to Rs. 60,000/-).
Hyderabad Region: The Distribution Zonal team conducted a significant raid in the Hyderabad region in response to a complaint lodged by a local resident in SSGC’s physical kachehri (open forum) about low gas pressure and gas theft in several locations, including village Karan Khan Shoro and Qasimabad. Excavation work was carried out, and six subterranean theft clamps were discovered fitted on a 63 mm diameter feeder main that supplied gas to six buildings. Theft clamps were quickly removed during the raid.
Meanwhile, another raid in Sukkur revealed gas theft carried out via subterranean clamps to provide gas to 7 houses at Burma Shell Depo and 5 residences in Mir Khan Shahani Ranipur village in Sukkur. The raiding troops quickly removed clamps and destroyed connections.
Following a planned leak check at Budho Palari in Qasimabad, major leak locations were detected, prompting excavation, which revealed two underground theft clamps fitted on a 4′ diameter gas pipeline delivering gas to three residences. Theft clamps were removed, and maintenance work was completed. Larkana Region: At least four households in the Jacobabad neighborhood of Larkana were disconnected owing to theft via rubber pipes.
Maria Ghanchi