<i>Flaws in CNG conversion</i>

Illegal and unskilled CNG conversion work, and cutting corners to cut costs; are costing the lives of innocent passengers and people on the road! Faulty and unauthorised cylinders and poor workmanship have been rightly identified as the main reasons in Sarkar's front page article on the matter (Dec: 15). The two critical issues are: a) Unsafe cylinders and
b) Shoddy workmanship. If these are stopped, then the frighteningly large number of unnecessary fatalities will stop. Significantly, the article states; which is worth quoting: "The Daily Star in an investigation recently found a good number of unauthorised conversion plants (workshops) operating across the city and elsewhere in the country". In the interest of public safety, I would request The Daily Star, and all other dailies and other print media, to please publish the names and addresses of all such unauthorised establishments.
The government through RPGCL must carry out a check of all workshops carrying out such work to check their cylinders and the work process to ensure that conversion work is done using authorised cylinders, and by authorised personnel only. The Department of Explosives must be involved in keeping track of cylinder testing and have the cylinders registered and all particulars duly recorded like all pressure vessels which they do as a normal function. If these need more manpower for the Department of Explosives, so be it, as this cannot be used as an excuse for allowing unauthorised cylinders to be used freely, that is happening now at the cost of many innocent lives!
In case of any accident, the cylinders must be examined and tested, and if found unauthorised the driver and owner of the vehicle should be charged with manslaughter, if there is any fatality. Otherwise, they should be charged under the appropriate laws applicable, and the maximum punishment given to set examples.
This is the suggested way to start the monitoring and control of the use of CNG cylinders and stop the dangerous practice which seems to be getting out of hand!