Road barricade to press for uninterrupted gas supply

Local people yesterday put up barricades on Dhaka-Munshiganj road from Kashipur to Shashongaon under Fatulla Police Station demanding uninterrupted gas supply in the area.
About 4,000 to 5,000 people joined the agitation in an area stretching about 2.5 kilometres. They blocked the road by placing logs and bamboos and burning tyres.
A large number of women also participated in the agitation. Traffic on the road remained halted for five hours from 8:00am. Several hundred vehicles got stranded on both sides of the road, mounting sufferings to the passengers.
Locals alleged gas crisis has been prevailing in a large area of Narayanganj and Fatulla for long. They blamed illegal gas connections and gas supply to industries from the residential areas for the crisis.
The road blockade was withdrawn at around 1:00pm following a meeting between local administration, police, Titas Gas authorities and local people.
The meeting decided that Titas Gas authorities would take effective steps to solve the problem within the next 10 days.
Local people said 11 industries in Kashipur Industrial area were allowed to use 8 inches diameter gas pipe but they are using pipe of double the diameter. They alleged they do not get gas most of the time in the day as the gas lines to the industries have been linked with residential lines.
Titas Gas authorities did not take any steps despite repeated complaints by the local people, the agitators said.
General manager of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd Narayanganj office Amir Ahmed said they are not getting gas as per their demand.
He said the higher authorities have been informed about the matter. Work on separating industrial gas lines from residential lines is going on, he added.