A crisis in liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, caused by faulty pipelines under the sea, has surfaced as extreme gas scarcity in Chattogram which has caused the capital dwellers to experience the same for the past three days.
Gas flow in areas including Uttara, Azimpur, Panthapath, Rampura, Banasree, Mirpur and old Dhaka are so low that people living in those places are not being able to cook anything.
An official of energy division said, LNG supply was disrupted due to defects at under water gas pipelines which caused lack of gas supply in Chattogram. The shortage of gas supply eventually reflected in the National Grid.
In addition, the increasing demand of gas supply in the winter, which is setting in, has contributed to worsening of the crisis, the official said before adding that the crisis has hit industries, power plants and fertiliser plants as well other than households in the affected areas.
The Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) said that the gas distribution is available at the power plants though it is facing slight shortage.
The authorities at Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited said that the gas pressure has decreased in the industrial areas of Gazipur, Savar, Ashulia, Tongi and Chattogram but it is much more visible at the residences of Dhaka city.
Tasnima, a dweller at capital’s Azimpur area, said, “For the past few days gas flow is so down after 10am, it becomes impossible to cook at such low heat. The gas flow rises to normal after 4pm.”
A Banasree E block resident Maria Haque said, lack of gas supply is nothing new. But there were no supply at all in the past two, three days.
Mostafa Kamal, acting managing director of Titas Gas, said, “We are trying to keep the supply on track. We have reduced gas supply to the power plants to ensure uniform supply elsewhere.”
Titas authorities have halted gas supply at 10 power plants among its 19.
Petrobangla authorities said 2,713 million cubic feet gas has been supplied whereas Saturday’s supply was 2,997. In the power sector, 1014 million cubic feet gas has been supplied against the demand of 2054. 196 million cubic feet gas has been supplied at the fertilizer factories against the demand of 316.