The people of the district and adjacent areas have been experiencing an acute gas crisis, especially from the beginning of the Holy month of Ramadan, as the authorities cannot afford to cope with the demand.

Housewives are facing great troubles in cooking food. They face difficulties in preparing Iftar items in time. In the backdrop of acute gas crisis, they now cook food either on kerosene stoves or clay-made ovens.

As a result, strong resentment has been prevailing among gas consumers and common people. The authorities concerned do not pay any heed to their crisis existing for the last couple of years.

Processions, rallies and other forms of demonstrations took place demanding an end to the gas crisis in the district, but all went in vain. The gas crisis has now appeared as a major crisis to the dwellers.
Local sources said they have been getting gas only for 5/6 hours per day for the last two years due to insufficient supplies from the companies.
Talking to the consumers, they told this correspondent that gas supply normally keeps going at midnight and gets disconnected after 6:00 or 7:00 in the morning on a regular basis, causing untold sufferings to the town people.

Therefore, there are many housewives who cook food for the following day remaining awakened till midnight.

Expressing anonymity, a Titas Gas contractor said industrial and commercial consumers are getting more supply of gas. As a result, household consumers are getting less supply. “If the day-time gas supply to several industries could be stopped, crisis would have been mitigated,” he said.

Local Titas Gas office sources said the demand of gas in Munshiganj is 5.25 mmcm (million cubic meters). But the authorities concerned do not know how much gas they have actually been receiving. There are some 9,500 household consumers and 45 industrial and commercial consumers in the district.

According to sources at the Titas Gas office of Munshiganj, the main reason for gas crisis is the same supply line for Narayanganj and Munshiganj. That’s why Munshiganj consumers are not receiving gas after meeting the demand of Narayanganj consumers.

At a meeting at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Munshiganj, Mrinal Kanti Das MP of Munshiganj-3 constituency has recently expressed the apprehension that Munshiganj dwellers may turn violent like the people of Kansat due to gas crisis.

He said that the Petro Bangla chairman was informed about the matter. But, no step has so far been taken to mitigate the gas crisis here.

observerbd