Photo : Messenger
Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company is supplying gas through transmission lines that are 50 years old, and nearly 80 per cent of the lines pose a serious danger as they are past their expiry.
Though the company has taken digitalisation steps, its shabby pipelines have not been changed. Lines are repaired only when there is an accident. A proposal was made 10 years ago to set up a department to fix and maintain old lines, but it has not seen the light of day yet due to unknown reasons.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid told The Daily Messenger, “We have taken various projects involving Tk 5,000 crore to replace the old pipelines.”
“Besides, we are going to be digitalised. Then we will be able to know the condition of the weak lines,” he added.
Experts say considering the condition of Titas lines and the frequency of fire incidents, it is like people are living in a fire pit and there is no safety.
They say the authorities try to avoid responsibility whenever a fire breaks out but do not take preventive measures. They also recommend taking immediate steps to repair or replace the hazardous gas lines.
Energy Expert Prof Shamsul Alam told The Daily Messenger Titas officials are involved in corruption.
“They are busy with under-the-table dealings without upgrading the lines. Titas is a profit-making company but is not willing to improve gas distribution,” he added.
Sources say a new chapter in the use of natural gas in Bangladesh began with the discovery of a large gas field on the bank of the Titas River in Brahmanbaria in 1962. Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company was founded on November 20, 1964.
It started commercial operations on April 28, 1968, by supplying gas to the Siddhirganj thermal power plant after the construction of the 58-mile Titas-Demra transmission line by the then Industrial Development Corporation. The diameter of the line was 14 inches.
Titas only focused on expanding transmission lines since the beginning while ignoring maintenance, sources say. There is no information on the condition of the lines covering an area of more than 13,000 kilometres in the capital. The authorities spring into action only when there is a leakage or accident.
On June 27, 2021, a big explosion rocked the Wireless Gate area in Moghbazar, causing part of a three-storey building to collapse. Titas denied responsibility for the incident, saying it had no gas lines in the building and the surrounding areas. After visiting the scene, its officials said either explosives or gas leakage from cylinder might have turned a room in the building into a gas chamber.
Police, however, dismissed the possibility of explosives and formed an investigation committee. The investigation revealed leakage from Titas lines had turned a room in the building into a gas chamber. The explosion did not happen from cylinder leakage.
The committee in its report held Titas responsible. It said a leak in Titas lines caused gas to accumulate in the room where the explosion took place. The report recommended legal action against Titas officials citing gross negligence.
Twelve people were killed and more than 50 sustained injuries in the incident. However, Titas took no steps to repair its lines even after that.
Titas had 28,78,757 customers till June 30 last year. In addition, it supplies gas to 17 state-run and 39 private power plants; two fertiliser factories; 5,429 industrial plants; 396 CNG stations; 1,755 captive power plants; 12,078 commercial establishments; 28,53,053 residential units; 5,959 metered residential units; 17 residential units with generators; and 12 brick kilns.
The company built 13,391.32 kilometres of transmission lines till June 30, 2023. It sold 14,459.41 mmcm of gas in FY23, registered revenues of Tk 26,387.12 crore, and paid Tk 706.92 crore to the national exchequer.
Messenger/Fameema
