THE dwellers of Dhaka city are now facing severe problem in preparing meals for both Seheri and Iftar as gas crisis hits many areas since the beginning of Ramzan. The residents in most of the areas said there is no gas supply from 8:00 am until midnight almost every day, preventing them from cooking. The lone supplier of gas in Dhaka City Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company, however, hints no immediate respite from it. They said the total daily demand is about 2000 million cft in Dhaka but they get only 1700 million cft. So, it is impossible for them to keep up with increased demand in Ramzan.
This situation is not for the first time. Each and every year the dwellers face this gas problem. Sometimes it becomes more acute. But no authority took any long-term step to tackle the gas crisis, especially in the holly month. Director Operations of Titash Gas said, ‘We thought the supply of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) would be connected to the national grid before Ramzan, but it was delayed.’ A number of media said the Power Division in a meeting with the Energy and Mineral Resources Division before Ramzan had urged increasing the supply of gas to meet the greater demand for electricity. Officials said to meet the target of ensuring continuous electricity in Ramzan, there is a shortage of gas supply in the household.
We know, a vessel carrying 3000 million cft LNG from Qatar reached at the outer anchorage of Moheshkhali in the Bay of Bengal on April 23. It was told that the imported LNG would be supplied to national grid by May. But due to lack of expertise and experience, it is not yet connected to the national grid. Nobody knows when it would be possible. Besides, there is no alternative way to increase the production of gas at this moment from other sources also.
That means, the dwellers will also have to face electricity and water crisis due to shortage of gas, though the government earlier had promised uninterrupted gas-electricity-water supply in this Ramzan month.
