Though Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission, BERC, has fixed system loss ceiling at 2 percent, the actual loss recorded is 6.12 percent.
As a result, settling accounts for 90 million cubic feet of gas is becoming a daily problem. As per BERC, the system loss of Titas was 6.12 percent between Sep to Dec, 2018-19. The highest acceptable system loss is 2 percent. Anything more than that cannot be recovered from consumers in any way.
The 6.12 per cent loss translates into 134.64 million cubic feet. With 2 percent it’s 44 million Cubic feet.
The loss every day is 90.64 million cubic feet and the company cannot give an account where the loss is happening.
There was a directive from the energy division that all illegal lines have to be removed before supplying LNG, but reportedly, many illegal lines are still in place, said an official.
Prior to polls, Titas was asked to follow a ‘go slow’ policy due to political considerations.
Illegal users are not paying which is adding to the system loss, said the official.
Anti-Corruption Commission, ACC, says that a section of corrupt Titas workers and officials are complicit in this.
Md Kamruzzaman Khan, director (operation) of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited (TGTDCL), says: “Titas has taken some steps to reduce system loss, including updating metering systems, identifying illegal connections, disconnecting of lines and through modifying accounts.”
Saying that workers and officials are transferred to add impetus to the work, he observed: “This is an ongoing process; not possible in one day but we will bring down loss as soon as possible.”