Titas cuts illegal industrial and commercial gas connections in Keraniganj

State-run Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd (TGTDCL) has snapped some 67 illegal industrial gas connections and 16 illegal commercial gas connections in Keraniganj during drives over the past month and a half, Petrobangla Chairman Zanendra Nath Sarker revealed on Wednesday.

The TGTDCL also removed around 385 gas risers in Keraniganj, the home area of former state minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid.

Mr Sarker shared this information during a views exchange meeting with the newsmen at the Petrobangla conference room.

He reported that around 1.31 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas was illegally consumed through these connections.

Additionally, the TGTDCL disconnected 11 more illegal industrial gas connections and 30 illegal commercial gas connections within its jurisdiction.

Some 4.13 mmcfd of gas was illegally consumed through these illegal connections in the TGTDCL’s jurisdiction areas in total, he said.

“We focused our efforts on illegal gas connections in Keraniganj this time, as we felt that such drives had not been properly conducted in this area over the past two to three years,” Mr Sarker said, noting that former TGTDCL Managing Director Harunur Rashid also comes from Keraniganj.

During the previous fiscal year (FY 2023-2024), the TGTDCL disconnected a total of 206,650 illegal gas connections and removed 443.64 kilometres of illegal pipelines across the country.

The drives were carried out by 55 teams led by magistrates and gas company officials.

Drive against the illegal consumers saved around 25 mmcfd of gas worth around Tk 14.10 million, he said.

To prevent gas pilferage, the government plans to install 1.90 million prepaid gas meters in the TGTDCL jurisdiction area, Mr Sarker said.

Currently, natural gas system losses range from 8.5 to 9.5 per cent, with the government aiming to reduce this to less than 2 per cent, according to the Petrobangla chairman

Petrobangla Director for Operations and Mines Md Kamruzzaman Khan, TGTDCL Managing Director Shahnawaz Parvez, and Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Ltd Managing Director Md Rafiqul Islam were also present at the programme.

azizjst@yahoo.com