Ship anchor damages Titas gas line, supply in Dhaka may take days to normalise

A Titas gas pipeline running beneath the Buriganga River has been damaged after a ship’s anchor hit the line, disrupting supply to several areas of the capital, including Amin Bazar, Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi, Adabar, Azimpur, and Old Dhaka.

Hundreds of thousands of residents have faced severe inconvenience since the incident on Sunday, struggling with limited gas for cooking and daily use.

Kazi Mohammad Saidul Hasan, general manager (Operations) at Titas Gas, told bdnews24.com on Wednesday night: “A line from Amin Bazar to Dhaka was hit under the Buriganga by a ship’s anchor. With the help of the Fire Service and relevant authorities, divers have been repairing it for four days.

“We completed the work this afternoon. Gas supply has resumed, but full normalisation will take time as the line pressure was previously depleted.”

He added, “The line was almost empty. We are restoring pressure gradually. Normally, with lower consumption, pressure recovers faster. But as it is a working day, usage is high and pressure is rising slowly. We expect normal flow by Friday or Saturday.

“If usage drops tonight, supply could normalise by Thursday morning. A gas shutdown in Uttara for maintenance, however, may delay full restoration across the city until Friday.”

In a separate statement, Titas said a clamp had been installed on the damaged line with support from the Fire Service, Bangladesh Coast Guard, River Police, and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).

The line is currently supplying gas to the capital at a pressure of 25 pounds per square inch gauge (PSIG), with no external leakage detected.

While the city often faces gas shortages during winter, this specific pipeline fault has left stoves cold in most affected areas for three days. Residents said they have been unable to cook and are forced to rely on expensive restaurant food.

Abdul Hai, a resident of Mohammadpur Housing Society, said he has had to buy meals for the last two days as there is no gas in the pipes.

He noted that while pressure used to drop in the afternoons, the supply has been completely non-existent recently.

The crisis has driven up the price of electronics, with shops reporting an unusual spike in demand for induction hobs and electric cookers.

Akhira Islam, a resident of Adabor, described the unannounced outage as “inhumane”, adding that she was forced to buy an electric stove at an inflated price.

Long queues of vehicles have also been seen at CNG filling stations due to the low pressure.