Numerous illegal connections contribute to low pressure
Gas supply crisis this winter will be the worst ever as thousands of new gas connection seekers have illegally obtained it bypassing the government restriction on the same from July, Petrobangla sources said.
This is evident from the fact that there has been a sharp drop in gas flow pressure. Field surveys have also determined that new connections have been installed at many newly built houses and apartments after July, the sources mentioned.
Stoves in many areas of the capital are already facing poor or no supply of gas during certain parts of the day.
Officials say it is normal that gas flow pressure dips during winter as the pipelines accumulate gas by-products in liquid form, narrowing those. But this time the pressure dropped way before the advent of winter.
Every year, Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd provides around 1.25 lakh new connections. Since the imposition of restriction in July, at least around 50,000 applicants are waiting for gas connection.
These applicants demand at least 1.6 lakh cubic metres of gas per day.
“But to our knowledge, many of them have obtained connections by bribing a section of Titas gas officials and contractors,” one source said. A field survey detected that even a senior Petrobangla official obtained an illegal connection for his newly constructed six-storey building.
Such illegal activities have spoiled the purpose of imposing restriction on new connections in the face of an acute gas crisis. This not only affected supply to power plants or industries but also homes that depend on gas for cooking.
This is the first time ever the government imposed such restriction hoping that within a year, gas supply would improve and new connections could be given then.
But over the last one year, Petrobangla and its affiliates responsible for gas production and supply failed to increase supply. In December last year, gas supply in the country was around 1,950 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), and this month it remains the same.
One year ago, there was a supply shortfall of at least 400 mmcfd, and it has now increased by 200 mmcfd.
Given the situation, Titas Gas will soon launch a drive to detect illegal gas connections, said a top official of Titas that handles 15.5 lakh customers, who constitute the majority of gas consumers in the country.
A Titas official admitted that obtaining illegal connections is rampant among domestic, captive power, CNG and industrial consumers after the July restriction.
“It is because Titas has never imposed such restriction, and it does not have the logistics and technical support at the field level to check such corrupt practices by a section of its staffs in connivance with the customers,” he said.
In this situation, the government decision to introduce pre-paid gas meters will be very effective in checking illegal connections and pilferage.
“We are working with the Buet (Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology) to develop and install 5,000 pre-paid meters in Lalmatia area of the capital by May next year. Besides, we will install another 8,600 meters under a different funding in the same area. And this is nothing compared to our customer base,” the official noted.
In 2012, Titas will roll out another 200,000 pre-paid meters in Badda area. It will take several years before Titas could bring majority of its customers under pre-paid metering system.
“The biggest issue now is how we are going to market the pre-paid cards for customers. We also want to make sure that these cards and meters will not become technologically obsolete within a few years. We are working on that,” he said.
