Anisul Islam Noor :
The government has failed to supply adequate gas to Dhaka and Chittagong residents on arrival of the winter season, the crisis is deepening as winter is getting longer.
Gas pipelines are drying fast in many parts of the capital and Chittagong city in the morning. The residents have been forced to make alternative arrangements to cook meals.
The authorities claim that higher demand for gas is the reason behind such problem, though the consumers’ rights groups claimed the situation has developed from the mismanagement of gas suppliers through pipeline.
In some city areas, residents are suffering from the gas crisis for months while in some other areas, the trouble began with the increase of severe cold.
Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company, however, says residents were putting their burners longer than usual, which has spiked gas demand and created the crisis.
The daily supply is 1.7 billion cubic feet of gas against a demand for two billion cubic feet in the two cities, according to the utility, provider.
Taslima Akter, a housewife of Mirpur area told the reporter yesterday there was no gas in her kitchen from 8am to 4pm on Wednesday.
“The supply comes in the afternoon but runs out again for two to three hours from 6pm.” She said.
One Segun Bagicha resident Sayara Taslim said she has to readjust family’s daily routine to availability of gas supply.
“For the past one week or so, our burners become dry before 8am and later we get some gas after 2pm. As a result, we need to start cooking very early in the morning – immediately after the Fazr prayers.” She said.
“I used to pay Tk 800 as gas bill a month but now I spend between Tk 1200 and Tk 1300 for cooking. The electricity bill has also gone up as well as we are using electric kettle and rice cooker for warm water and cooking rice,” she added.
Tahmina Khanom, resident of Mirpur said “We have to starve if we want to prepare our meals on gas burners. Extra expenditure will for cooking is adding to family’s budget.”
It’s difficult to survive this way, she said.
HM Ali Ashraf, director (operations) of the state-run Titas, has blamed the extra demand in the cities for gas crisis. “Our supply hasn’t been cut. Rather the use has risen. That’s why some areas are getting slightly less gas. The problem will go away when the winter is over,” he said.
Ruhin Hossain Prince, of the Communist Party of Bangladesh or CPB, thinks mismanagement at Titas gas the reason.
“The overall mismanagement has created the situation. We have taken the problems with Titas management different occasions, but there has been no redress,” he told media.
He also blames lack of planning for this situation in winter. Such situation develops almost every year. Yet Titas management remains indifferent about it.
