Anisul Islam Noor :
People’s life becomes a misery in many parts of the capital and its adjoining areas for severe fall in pressure of the piped gas supply to the households, as they have to count an extra cost of living to keep an alternative arrangement for cooking.
They are paying for piped gas but they have also to continue an alternative source for cooking as supply of gas is too poor to fire in the household gas burners, lamented some of the city dwellers.
Though officials in the marketing agencies show different causes, an energy expert smells a ploy to jack up natural-gas price and then introduce costly LNG in the captive fuel market.
Energy Adviser of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Prof Shamsul
Alam told The New Nation on Wednesday that the government kept raising tariffs of gas frequently but failed to ensure its smooth supply, which severely hurts people.
“The consumers are not getting gas even after paying higher tariffs. A vested group is illegally getting the benefits. Titas must stop this (the network of illegal trades),” he added.
Prof. Alam also feared that some groups might be hatching conspiracy to create an artificial crisis for making it costly and force people to use the expensive LNG from the captive market.
According to him, disruption to supply of the key fossil energy is not only hampering regular activities like cooking breakfast and lunch but also enhancing the cost of living of the residents on account of alternative arrangements.
Besides, queues of automobiles before the CNG filling stations have grown bigger over the last few days as production in gas-based industries is suffering most.
All types of consumers said the gas pressure goes down beyond the usage level from around 7:30am to almost 6:00pm.
Some parts of Uttara, Mirpur, Eskaton, Old Dhaka, Demra, Maniknagar, Keraniganj, Basaboo and Tongi are the worst hit areas, alleged residents of the area.
In many areas, the situation turned too bad for them to light up the gas-fired ovens throughout the day, forcing people there to change and limit their sleeping habit to prepare food in the early hours.
Like the households, many restaurants and hotels are also seen using cylinder gas as an alternative to keep their business on. The alternative arrangements cost the customers extras.
Simultaneously, low pressure of gas was reported at many Compressed National Gas (CNG) stations in the capital.
Officials, however, admitted gas supply disruption, saying that less-than-expected level of supply resulted in the situation.
But sufferers came down heavily on the distributor, alleging that low pressure of gas has been a common phenomenon in the city over the last several months but the authorities remaining heedless to the nagging problem facing civic life. National demand for natural gas is said to be more than 3,700 million cubic feet per day while the state-owned Petrobangla could supply less than 2,700 mmcfd, according to the officials.
When contacted, Director (Operations) of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited HM Ali Ashraf admitting the fact of disruption told The New Nation on Wednesday that they supply 1,600 mmcfd to 1,700 mmcfd against a demand for over 2,000 mmcfd.
He, however, was optimistic about improvement in the situation. “The problem would be resolved from coming April 26 when the liquefied natural gas (LNG) will start to come,” he said.
Seeking anonymity, another Titas official blamed illegal consumption of the fossil fuel alongside the demand-supply mismatch for causing the situation to turn for the worse.
He said many people in the capital consume gas illegally from many “source points”, which are yet to be removed.
People’s life becomes a misery in many parts of the capital and its adjoining areas for severe fall in pressure of the piped gas supply to the households, as they have to count an extra cost of living to keep an alternative arrangement for cooking.
They are paying for piped gas but they have also to continue an alternative source for cooking as supply of gas is too poor to fire in the household gas burners, lamented some of the city dwellers.
Though officials in the marketing agencies show different causes, an energy expert smells a ploy to jack up natural-gas price and then introduce costly LNG in the captive fuel market.
Energy Adviser of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Prof Shamsul
Alam told The New Nation on Wednesday that the government kept raising tariffs of gas frequently but failed to ensure its smooth supply, which severely hurts people.
“The consumers are not getting gas even after paying higher tariffs. A vested group is illegally getting the benefits. Titas must stop this (the network of illegal trades),” he added.
Prof. Alam also feared that some groups might be hatching conspiracy to create an artificial crisis for making it costly and force people to use the expensive LNG from the captive market.
According to him, disruption to supply of the key fossil energy is not only hampering regular activities like cooking breakfast and lunch but also enhancing the cost of living of the residents on account of alternative arrangements.
Besides, queues of automobiles before the CNG filling stations have grown bigger over the last few days as production in gas-based industries is suffering most.
All types of consumers said the gas pressure goes down beyond the usage level from around 7:30am to almost 6:00pm.
Some parts of Uttara, Mirpur, Eskaton, Old Dhaka, Demra, Maniknagar, Keraniganj, Basaboo and Tongi are the worst hit areas, alleged residents of the area.
In many areas, the situation turned too bad for them to light up the gas-fired ovens throughout the day, forcing people there to change and limit their sleeping habit to prepare food in the early hours.
Like the households, many restaurants and hotels are also seen using cylinder gas as an alternative to keep their business on. The alternative arrangements cost the customers extras.
Simultaneously, low pressure of gas was reported at many Compressed National Gas (CNG) stations in the capital.
Officials, however, admitted gas supply disruption, saying that less-than-expected level of supply resulted in the situation.
But sufferers came down heavily on the distributor, alleging that low pressure of gas has been a common phenomenon in the city over the last several months but the authorities remaining heedless to the nagging problem facing civic life. National demand for natural gas is said to be more than 3,700 million cubic feet per day while the state-owned Petrobangla could supply less than 2,700 mmcfd, according to the officials.
When contacted, Director (Operations) of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited HM Ali Ashraf admitting the fact of disruption told The New Nation on Wednesday that they supply 1,600 mmcfd to 1,700 mmcfd against a demand for over 2,000 mmcfd.
He, however, was optimistic about improvement in the situation. “The problem would be resolved from coming April 26 when the liquefied natural gas (LNG) will start to come,” he said.
Seeking anonymity, another Titas official blamed illegal consumption of the fossil fuel alongside the demand-supply mismatch for causing the situation to turn for the worse.
He said many people in the capital consume gas illegally from many “source points”, which are yet to be removed.
