South Asia is one of the regions most affected by the disruption to gas supplies caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz after the attacks by the US and Israel against Iran, says the Financial Times.
South Asian countries are highly dependent on energy supplies from the Persian Gulf. India, for example, buys 60% of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. 95% of Bangladesh’s energy also comes from the countries of the Persian Gulf, especially the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, and last year Pakistan imported practically all of its energy from Qatar.
How does the energy crisis affect ordinary citizens?
Cases of hoarding, theft and price gouging are being recorded in India, as many citizens try to secure supplies of LPG, the fuel most used for cooking in homes, highlights FT.
The Indian government has allowed the use of more polluting fuels, such as coal, wood and kerosene, for cooking after many restaurants anticipated that they would have to close their doors within days if they did not have access to fuel.
The energy crisis also harms tourism. Half of the hotels in Mumbai, India’s economic capital, could be forced to close if the situation does not improve, the Indian Hotels and Restaurants Association said. The organization has suggested its 500,000 members consider reducing work hours.
But not only the hospitality sector has been affected, but also the funeral sector. Crematoriums in Pune city have started using electric ovens for cremations instead of gas to prevent bodies from piling up, says Manisha Shekatkar, chief engineer of the Pune municipal corporation who is in charge of the city’s crematoriums.
In addition, supplies of LPG, which are used to produce fertilizers, generate power and fuel refineries, have been interrupted.
In neighboring Bangladesh, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman turns on only half the lights in his office and turns on the air conditioning only in emergency situations, said his press secretary, Saleh Shibly. “This austerity is being practiced in all offices in the country,” he said.
Bangladesh’s state gas company Petrobangla has imposed daily supply cuts, while the Ministry of Education has closed all universities. A similar situation is seen in Pakistan, where the government has closed schools until the end of March, decreed that university classes be taught online, and imposed a four-day work week for government offices. Furthermore, the Islamabad government has increased petrol prices by 20% amid the crisis.
(RT)
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