Gas supply to various towns and cities of Balochistan was stopped late Wednesday night after a gas pipeline was damaged at Bolan area of Kachhi district. Gas supply was also affected in various areas of Quetta, the provincial capital.
Balochistan Gas Supply Suspended After Main Pipeline Damage in Bolan
The SSGC confirmed the event. According to the company, the affected pipeline had a diameter of 18 inches, and the incident prevented the usual supply of gas in many places.
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Pipeline Damaged Near Gorkat
As per Sui Southern Gas Company SSGC officials, the explosion occurred at the KMP-246 Valve Assembly located in the Bolan River bed, close to Gorkat. The distance of the spot from the major Quetta-Sibi Road is around 700 to 800 meters. SSGC reported that some unidentified individuals had planted explosives under the pipeline in the river bed and then detonated the same by making use of the remote control device.
This led to extensive damage to the gas pipeline. It is reported that the main valve of the gas pipeline was blown up at Daraz Bent in Bolan area. As a result of this, there was smoke and fire at the damaged part of the pipeline.
Areas Facing Gas Supply Disruption
According to SSGC, the incident disrupted gas supply to Kolpur, Mach, Mastung, Kalat, Pishin, and Ziarat. The outage also affected several areas of Quetta. It further added that gas pressure would be low and there would be less gas for some consumers. The effects might vary from one area to another depending upon how repairs take place.
SSGC Teams Ready for Repair Work
According to SSGC, the repair crew was ready to undertake repairs of the pipeline. However, the repair team had to wait for security clearance before entering the affected area. The gas company said its management was closely monitoring the situation and taking steps to restore the gas supply after receiving the required clearance.
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Similar Gas Pipeline Incidents Reported Earlier
This is not the first gas supply interruption in Balochistan this year, with similar challenges reported by the Balochistan Energy Department. In May, there was an interruption in the supply of gas in a major area of the province because of the damage to a gas pipeline in the Dera Bugti region. There was another instance of suspension of the supply of gas to Sohbatpur district of the Nasirabad division in May as well. This incident occurred earlier in March at the Western Bypass region because of the damage to the major gas pipeline.
News source eTimes Pakistan.
