Large RMG units facing production setback due to low pressure of gas

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Jasim Uddin Haroon
At least 22 large textile, spinning and denim mills have been facing production setback due to low pressure of gas threatening shutdown of plants and retrenchment of workers, officials said.
The factories mostly located at Gazipur, Tongi, Savar, Narayanganj and Manikganj areas.
The plants that have been contributing to the country's employment generation and export earnings are getting around 50 per cent less pressure of gas in their factories forcing many to cut production.
Textile mills use gas for generation of power to ensure uninterrupted production.
"We've been facing serious low pressure of gas since this March. This is forcing us to count huge financial losses each day," Shafiqul Islam Sarkar, managing director of Karim Spinning Mills Limited told the FE.
He also said: "Our another plant named Purbani Fabrics is also facing low pressure of gas from Yesterday (Thursday)."
Mr Shafiq said many factories are operating their factories one or two shifts instead of three.
In Narayanganj, RK Spinning Mills, RK Fashion, Empire Dying Limited, Parity Fashion and RK Textile and Processing Plant have been suffering due to low gas pressure over the past six to seven months, according to Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) data.
The data showed Keya Spinning Mills Limited, Keya Cotton Mills, MSA Spinning, Malek Spinning Rahim Spinning, Delta Spinning, Jamuna Spinning, Shameem Spinning, Shameem Composite, Jamuna Denims, Tamijuddin Textiles in Gazipur, have been the worst affected by low gas pressures.
Others suffering from similar problem are three units of Square Textiles Limited, Square Yarns and Karim Spinning Mills.
Monno Fabrics at Manikganj has already announced closure of its plant pushing jobs of over 2500 workers into uncertainty.
One senior official at Keya Spinning Mills Limited told the FE Thursday that the factory was currently receiving on an average 4.0 PSI (pressure per square inch) instead of sanctioned 10 PSI.
Malek Spinning, a large mill in the country owned by former BTMA president A Matin Chowdhury, has been facing production loses on an average 21 per cent due to low gas pressure.
Mr Chowdhury said this is contributing to higher bank liability.
Jamuna Denims Limited, one of the largest denim manufacturing plants in the country, located at Shafipur is getting on an average 3.0 PSI against the sanctioned 15 PSI, officials said.
An official at the Square Textiles Limited unit-03 at Kashimpur told the FE: "We're getting only 2.0 PSI against our sanctioned 15 PSI."
When contacted a senior official of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company admitted that there was low pressures at the factories saying: "The pressure might improve during the winter season when the gas consumption becomes low."
Earlier in April in 2008, Titas issued letter to ration gas supply following production shortfall. However, later it withdrew it amid protest from the textile sector.