Erratic gas supply hits city life

Crisis in gas supply due to deficit production during the dry season has made the life of city residents miserable.
The shortage in supply is estimated at around 75 to 100 million cubic feet a day. The average demand is about 1,400 cubic feet.
Residents of different areas including parts of Mirpur, Pallabi, Mohammadpur and Rayerbagh have been struggling in acute shortage of gas supply over the last one month.
Many residents of these areas either cook early in the morning or buy food from restaurants, said residents of the areas.
A number of residents, on the other hand, bought stoves to solve the routine problem they face every year.
Moniruzzaman Khan, a resident in block C of Mirpur section-12, said the gas supply ceases every day from 9:00am to 4:00pm.
"My wife starts cooking from 7:00am and has to complete before 9:00am for the prevailing crisis," he said.
"We cook for the next day at night as the gas supply restrains from 10:00am to 3:00 pm," said Nazneen Sultana, a resident of block-C of Mirpur section-12.
Arif, a resident of block-D said they had bought a stove last month, which not only increased their expenditure but also requires more time and energy.
Elina Akhtar, a resident of Mohammadpur Madrasa road said the pressure of gas runs low from 11:00am till 2:00pm. So they sometimes start cooking late in the afternoon, she added.
General Manager (operation) of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd, Md Khalid Hasan said gas crisis in Mirpur and some pocket areas in the city occur every year as the areas are in down stream of the network.
The domestic gas demand also rises at this time of the year, which is another reason of the crisis, he said.
The residents of Mirpur especially, section-11, 12 and section-10 are the most sufferers as there is an one-inch-pipe line network in the area which should be at least three to four inches, he said.
"We took an initiative to enhance the network of Mirpur area with 16-inche pipe lines but it has been delayed as no satisfactory offer was made in five rounds of biddings in last two years," said Khalid.
"Unable to involve a firm in the earlier biddings, we are again going to invite tender soon," he said.
He said Titas is also initiating to connect the existing network with 12 inch pipes in Mirpur DOHS.
"We are also considering to conduct a survey to locate apt sites for replacing the old one-inch-pipe lines in the affected areas in Mirpur," said Khalid.
The crises in all the areas of the city would be solved if the gas production increased according to the demand, 1,400 cubic feet a day where we produce 1,300 to 1,320 million cubic feet, he said.