Gas emission posing risk for 4 years but no remedial step yet

Emission of natural gas continues through six tube-wells and hundreds of holes at Shyampur and Anandapur villages, Titas River and Loiska Beel near Location No 3 of Brahmanbaria Titas Gas Field, posing serious risk for the locals.
After such emission started noticeably about four years ago, a number of holes developed in the area but no effective step has been taken to save locals from possible disasters.
A few teams of Bangladesh Gas Field Company Limited (BGFCL) went to Shyampur village to test tube-well water and survey the area but there is no sign of any remedial work yet in this regard.
Many of the gas emitting holes are gradually getting larger, they said.
During a recent visit to the area, this correspondent saw gas coming out with bubbles from several spots in Titas River and Loiska Beel while gas and underground water is gushing out through all the six tube-wells of Shyampur and Anandapur villages.
Water from these uncontrollable tube-wells is warm and contaminated with gas and petroleum oil but helpless villagers are using it for household works, even for drinking.
Villagers’ attempt to sink new tube-wells failed as gas and water started coming out automatically through them.
The tube-well of Sayed Hossain of Shyampur village started emitting gas a year ago and he closed it by putting a mound of earth. As the spot now remains ‘unusually hot’, villagers fear a possible explosion.
Air pollution by gas also poses serious health hazards in the area.
Ignoring risks, a few village women use the flames of gas coming out from holes for cooking.
The BGFCL authorities, however, claim that gas pressure is gradually receding.
There are also instances that gas blowing in the air starts burning as soon as it comes in contact with fire from kerosene lamps and earthen ovens, said several residents of Shyampur and Anandapur villages.
The district administration arranged announcing through loudspeakers and setting signboards, posters and red flags, advising people not to use kerosene lamps, hurricanes and fire matches on the ‘risky spots’.
Four years ago, a six-member survey committee of Petrobangla identified faults in the wells of Location No 3 and suggested ‘remedial work’ on an urgent basis and taking steps to examine the underground layer.
When local gas explorer company Bapex started work for killing Well No 3, an old well of Titas Gas Field, it showed an abnormal sign and huge quantity of gas had to be burnt up in the air to prevent a possible blow out.
In early 2008, Well No 3 was ‘permanently killed’ with the help of Boots and Coots International, an US-based gas control company.
After ‘successful killing’ of Well No 3, BGFCL authorities at a press conference said that it would take about six months to stop emission of gas through hundreds of holes at Shyampur and Anandapur villages as there was a vast amount of gas in the seepages.
But the emission has continued without any sign of receding till now.
Residents of Shyampur and Anandapur villages have urged the authorities concerned to take urgent steps to prevent possible sinking of land and explosion due to large-scale gas emission.
When contacted, BGFCL General Manager (Operations) Md Akher Awal said, “A vast quantity of gas is stored in the seepage and it has started to come out. It will take time to stop.”

Courtesy of The Daily Star