CHATTOGRAM, Oct 22: The supply of gas to port city Chattogram was hampered on Saturday and Sunday, causing widespread disruption to people's lives.
The Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL) was forced to suspend gas supplies to domestic users and businesses from 8am to 4pm on both days.
According to officials at the gas distributor, the national grid used to supply 270 million-square-foot gas to Chattogram. But, the supply has plummeted to only 220 and 225 million-square-foot on Friday and Saturday.
This was due to a technical fault at the Floating System Re-gasification Unit (FSRU), which is currently being repaired. Officials said the FSRU is anticipated to be online within 28 October.
The gas distributor also decreased supply to fertiliser manufacters Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited (KAFCO) and Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL) to tackle with the prevailing crisis.
The inconsistent supply left manufacturers in a bind in industrial hubs such as Kalurghat, Baizid Bostami, Sitakunda and Patenga. Production lines at more than 1200 industries including steel and re-rolling mills and garment factories sat idle in the past two days. Apparel makers said they were the worst victim of the crisis.
The inconsistent gas supply has had a significant impact on people's lives too. Many people have been unable to cook, while businesses have been forced to close or operate at reduced capacity.
Mohammed Abdul Hai, owner of Sikdar Hotel at Jamal Khan road in the city, said, "We cannot cook foods for the customers due the gas crisis."
The gas crunch also hampered power generation and refueling stations. Thousands of vehicles were queued up at the pumps. On Friday night, some stations could supply gas, but only for one hour.
Nurul Amin, a driver, said, "I could not take gas on Friday and Saturday. So, I run my car by octane now."
Mahabubul Alam, a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver, said that he could not run his taxi on Friday and on Saturday due to the gas crunch at refueiling stations.
The KGDCL has apologised for the disruption and said that it is working to repair the fault and restore normal gas supplies as soon as possible. However, it has warned that the gas supply issue could continue for several more days in some areas.
The gas distributior advised people to use gas sparingly and to avoid using it for non-essential purposes.
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