2024-07-05 13:16:31
Ismail Hossain works as a driver in a private company. The car he drives is gas powered. Usually in taking gas he tries to fill the cylinder completely. It can be driven for two days without any problems. But in recent times there has been an extreme gas shortage at the refueling stations. As a result, Ismail Hossain is in trouble. Waiting for hours to get gas. Again gas is not available as per the demand.
Ismail Hossain said that recently the problem of gas has increased a lot. Gas is not available at some pumps. Again there are long queues for those available. After waiting a few hours, when I go to get gas, the pressure is low. That is, if you want gas for 1000 rupees, you will get 500 rupees. The car does not run all day with this gas. As a result, drivers have to come again to get gas.
Many drivers and owners like Ismail Hossain are victims of such crisis of CNG gas. Out of nearly 500 refueling stations in the country, most of the stations are out of gas. Those that contain it have very low pressure. DL filling station is one of the CNG refueling stations located in the airport area of the capital. A visit to the station last Monday saw around 30 private cars waiting to get gas. Due to low gas pressure in the line, each car is taking longer than normal time to fill up with gas. As a result, the driver of the last car in line does not know when he can get gas.
Talked to the driver Ismail Hossain. He said, I have been standing in line for almost an hour. I can’t say when the serial will come. Even if you get the serial again, it will be seen that the tank will not be able to fill due to low pressure.
Among the LNG terminals located in the country, Summit’s terminal supplies 500 million cubic feet of gas per day to the national grid. But due to the shutdown of the terminal after being damaged by the cyclone, there has been an equivalent gas shortage. This has affected CNG filling stations, industries, power and residential sectors.
Ismail Hossain said, the office often needs a car. I was waiting for serial for gas, when I got a call from the office. Then I have to say, I am waiting for gas. But the office doesn’t want to understand that, it has to be in trouble. Again, the desired gas is not met even after waiting for a long time.
He also said that my car can take maximum 15 liters of gas. But there I will get maybe 5 to 6 liters. It is not enough for the whole day. As a result I may have to come back for gas again. In other words, several hours of working time are being wasted in getting gas.
Uber driver Alam misses at least two trips while filling up gas. He said, I could have made two trips in the time wasted standing in the cereal line to get gas. But I can’t do that. I am suffering financially.
Many people are filling their cars with gas to avoid this gas problem, which has increased the cost. However, for Uber drivers, the cost of the trip is also increasing. It again falls on the shoulders of passengers. Both sides have to grumble about the rent. Salim, an Uber driver waiting at the same station, said that where the price of gas is Tk 43 per liter, oil is Tk 131 per liter. Our expenses are increasing, so the trip fare has to be charged accordingly.
While there is an option to take oil instead of gas in case of private cars, it is not at all in case of CNG autorickshaws. As a result, the wheel of the vehicle will not turn until it stops for a long time and takes gas.
At the ABN CNG refueling station in Mohakhali, queues of CNG autorickshaw drivers can be seen waiting to get gas since morning. Talked to CNG driver Amjad. He said, recently the problem of gas has increased a lot. Gas is not available even after visiting some places. Somewhere there are too many serials. It was seen that it was noon to take gas. During this time I could hit a few trips, all were losses.
The stations of the country are now not getting gas according to demand. As a result, the pump owners are facing losses. We have contacted the concerned authorities to resolve the issue. But it has been informed that it will take some time for the situation to return to normal.
Shahidul Islam, manager of ABN station, said that many well-known clients are coming as well as ordinary people. But I can’t give gas as per their demand. If the pressure is low, the pump needs to be shut down. The problem of gas has increased for the last one and a half to two months. Due to this, the pump owners are facing financial loss.
When asked the reason for this situation, he said, this situation has arisen due to reduced supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG). This will not be resolved until LNG is increased. Where we need the gas pressure to be 10 psi (pounds per square inch), the pressure is only three psi. How to sell? No car gets a full cylinder of gas. This has reduced our sales, customers have also suffered.
Regarding the gas shortage, the Secretary General of Bangladesh CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners Association, Farhan Noor Bhuiyan said, gas is not available in the stations of the country as per the demand. As a result, the pump owners are facing losses. Gas crisis has reached an extreme in Dhaka. Most of the day there is no pipeline gas in the stove. Gas comes after 9pm and goes off at 6am. Forced, many people cook at night. Gas supply is often cut off without notice. All in all, people’s life is miserable due to gas crisis.
Common customers say that the gas line is not available most of the time. Gas pressure is also low. Forced to resort to using cylinders. Many times we have to bring food from the hotel without getting any other means.
When talking about the gas shortage, Jochna Akhtar Nishi, a resident of Rampura area, said that the stove does not burn from dawn to 9 pm. Cooking at night becomes difficult. Sometimes I have to spend the day cooking khichuri in a rice cooker. It is not possible to buy rice and curry from the hotel every day.
Khuki, a resident of the same area, said that gas supply was stopped in Rampura area two days ago without any announcement. Earlier, Titas used to inform before gas shutdown. But now gas supply is cut off without announcement in many areas. Common people are in trouble.
Mehzaveen Akhtar of Shanir Akhara said that the gas pressure started decreasing in Jatrabari, Shanir Akhara and Kadmatoli areas from 8 am. After 5 pm, even if it rises a little, the cooking work cannot be completed with it. Cook and wait.
Gas shortage is acute in Kamrangirchar area. Many are turning to cylinders as an alternative. Ankhi, a resident of Kamrangirchar, said there is no change in gas. The condition of gas in this area is bad for many days. Arrived at 12 midnight and left at 5 am.
It is known that there is no gas in Mirpur area of the capital for two or three hours a day. The situation in Moghbazar Wireless Gate, Bailey Road, Ramna area is also the same. General Manager (Operation) Engineer of Titus Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited. Salim Mia said, there is no problem in all areas. Some are in some areas. This is because the supply is low. Supply is now low as the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) was damaged by the cyclone. Hopefully, the problem will be solved in the middle of this month.
According to Petrobangla sources, only 600 million cubic feet of gas is being supplied through one terminal due to the closure of Summit Group’s LNG terminal. Another 2,000 million cubic feet of gas is available from domestic wells in the country. The gas demand in the country is at least 3 thousand 100 million cubic feet. As a result, there is currently a shortage of 500 million cubic feet of gas per day. We have contacted the concerned authorities to resolve the issue. But it has been informed from there that it will take some time for the situation to return to normal.
The LNG terminal owned by the Summit Group was damaged by the recent Cyclone Remal. Before Remal, about 3100 million cubic feet of gas was supplied daily to various sectors including electricity, fertilizers. Of this, 2,000 million cubic feet came from gas fields. The remaining 1,100 million cubic feet of gas was obtained from the LNG terminal. Among the LNG terminals located in the country, Summit’s terminal supplies 500 million cubic feet of gas per day to the national grid. But due to the shutdown of the terminal after the damage caused by the cyclone, there has been a corresponding shortage of gas. This has affected industries including CNG filling stations, power and residential sectors.
A senior official of the Titus Gas Transmission and Distribution Company, who did not disclose his name, said that the supply of gas is low now. Efforts are being made to keep gas supply normal everywhere, including the power industry. It will take a week for the Summit terminal to return to normal operations. If it returns to operation, the gas crisis will be reduced.
According to the information of Converted Natural Gas Company, there are 606 authorized CNG refueling stations across the country, but 525 are currently operational. Against this there are 2 lakh 75 thousand 462 CNG powered vehicles. Apart from this, the number of imported taxi cabs and CNG-powered buses of BRTC is 40 thousand 383. There are 1 lakh 93 thousand 242 CNG powered autorickshaws. A large number of these vehicles are dependent on refueling stations for fuel. But the shortage of compressed natural gas has put the vehicle-related people in a quandary.
When asked when the crisis will be resolved, a senior official of Titus Gas Transmission and Distribution Company, who did not disclose his name, said that the supply of gas is low now. Efforts are being made to keep gas supply normal everywhere, including the power industry. It will take a week for the Summit terminal to return to normal operations. If it returns to operation, the gas crisis will be reduced.