M.O. Faruque, Savar :
Titas Gas Authority has disconnected illegal gas lines from houses in different areas of Ashulia in Savar. Officials of Savar Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited have been conducting raids in Nikkan Housing area of Kuturia in Ashulia since morning on Wednesday (May 11). The intermittent rains caused by the cyclone ‘Ashani’ disrupted the operation of illegal gas disconnection operations.
The operation was led by Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Savar Zonal Office Manager Engineer Abu Sadat. Sayem. “We have a target of 1,000 or 2,000 illegal gas disconnections in each campaign,” he told New Nation. But today less than 500 connections have been cut off due to rain. Due to the intermittent rain, the work has been disrupted a lot.
It is learned that low quality pipes and fittings were used in illegally supplied gas connections of Savar and Ashulia. As a result, incidents like explosions are constantly happening. According to various media reports, most of the explosions in Ashulia were caused by illegal gas connections. Ashulia is the only place where 6 explosions have taken place due to illegal gas connection. 14 people died in these incidents. In addition, many more were injured.
There are allegations that illegal gas connections have been cut off more than once in different areas of Savar including Ashulia’s Kathgarh, Narsinghpur, Balurmath, Yusuf Market, Jirabo, Kathgarh Dukathi, Durgapur Kuturia but local UP members, political leaders of the ruling party and dishonest officials of the Titas Gas Authority were managed and reconnected. Although the case was, they were out of reach.
Anjuara, a garment worker, said, “I rent this house. If I wake up in the morning and cook with wood, there will be no office.” If we are 10 minutes late, the factory authorities consider me absent. If there is no gas, even after working in the factory from morning to night, you have to work hard in cooking.
Ferdous Jahan Moni, a homeowner who uses legal gas, said that in the past, gas pressure was much lower in the morning and evening due to illegal connections. Legitimacy seemed to have lost to the illegitimate. However, at present the number of illegal connections is decreasing and the pressure of gas is getting better.
Savar zonal office manager engineer Abu Sadat. “We are conducting regular operations,” he said. Besides, I have also filed a case. A large number of police personnel were present during the campaign to avoid any untoward incident.
