Gas crisis cripples life in port city

Publication Date: 20 January, 2016
Media: The Independent

Original Link: Gas crisis cripples life in port city

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The prolonged gas crisis severely affected normal life of Chittagong as it has turned more acute in the port city in recent days.

The supply of Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL) currently reduced at least 30 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) from the minimal level of supplying gas from the national grid.
Not only works of household tasks but also industrial production, supplying gas as fuel to vehicles are being disrupted. Crying for gas is in everywhere in Chittagong. It is the scenario of the port city in the last couple of days. Usually KGDCL can supply only around 260 to 290 mmcfd out of its demand around 500 mmcfd. Currently the supply came down 220-230 in the last couple of days, said KGDCL authorities due to inadequate supply from National Grid.

Visiting some Compassed Natural Gas (CNG) filling stations yesterday (Tuesday) 1pm-2pm it was found that long queue of vehicles for filing gas; they were standing in the long queues for hours due to low presser of gas. Someone came at early morning, some came at 7pm, with the clockwise direction the line of vehicles are being long for gas before the filing stations of Chittagong.

 “I am waiting in the queue for gas from early morning, due to low presser after waiting four hours I could not fill up gas,” said Joynal Abedin, a CNG-auto rickshaw who came for gas at CNG filing station in Sholoshahar area of the city.  “After waiting in the queue for five fours, I am yet to be reached the station for gas,” Wahiduddla, a CNG-auto rickshaw driver, who came to a filing station in Railway Pologround area. The inadequate supply of gas takes a heavy toll on household works, many areas of the city are not getting gas in whole the day. Many are getting daily 2 to-5 hours only. Some people have not been getting gas from early morning to 5pm in the last couple of days. They were forced to buy food from shops. Mohammad Hossain, a resident of Subarna Residential Area of Gol Phar, said “From early morning to evening they are not getting gas. We are forced to buy foods from hotel.” “I went to office on Monday without food,” added Hossain.

Mujibur Rahman, a resident of Oxygen area, said “We get gas for two or three hours daily, currently we are facing tough time without gas. Most of the time in day there is no gas”
Mahbubul Alam, president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industries, alleged that productions of many industrial units of Chittagong are being hampered due to inadequate supply of gas.
Contacted, Engineer Khondaker Matiur Rahman, general manager (engineering services) of KGDCL told The Independent, “The present crisis has been created due to inadequate supply from national grid; the supply from national grid came down 230 mmcfd from 260-280 mmcfd. We have talked with Petrobangla, hopefully it will be solved within few days.” In the last five years port city has been facing severe gas crisis as a large portion of the gas supply halted with suspended of Sangu Gas field in 2013 due to its less supply.
The gas field had supplied around 220 mmcfd gas to the grid from 2002 to 2005 and 180 mmcfd gas from 2005 to 2010.  The crisis also deepened for drastic fall in supply from Semutang gas field– from 25 mmcfd to 5.6 mmcfd. The KGDCL authorities are facing a tough time to overcome the present shortage.