Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd (TGTDCL) has snapped some 67 illegal industrial gas connections and 16 illegal commercial links in a drive in the last one and a half months in Keraniganj, the home area of former state minister for energy and power Nasrul Hamid.
The state-run TGTDCL also severed some 385 gas raisers during the drive in Keraniganj.
Petrobangla Chairman Zanendra Nath Sarker disclosed the information while talking with newsmen at a view-exchange meeting at its conference room on Wednesday.
Nearly 1.31 million cubic feet of gas has illegally been consumed per day through these illegal connections, he said.
During the drive, the TGTDCL also cut off 11 more illegal industrial gas connections and 30 illegal commercial links in its jurisdiction areas.
Some 4.13mmcfd of gas was illegally consumed through these illegal connections in the TGTDCL's jurisdiction areas in total.
"We've launched drive against illegal gas connections in Keraniganj as such a drive was not carried out properly over the past two to three years," said Mr Sarker.
Former TGTDCL Managing Director Harunur Rashid also hails from Keraniganj, he added.
The TGTDCL, however, disconnected a total of 206,650 illegal gas connections and removed 443.64km illegal pipeline across the country in the immediate-past 2023-2024 fiscal year.
A total of 55 teams, led by magistrate and gas company officials, conducted the drive.
The drive against illegal consumers saved around 25mmcfd of gas worth around Tk 14.10 million, Mr Sarker said.
To avoid pilferage, the government has planned to install 1.90 million prepaid gas meters in the TGTDCXL jurisdiction area, he said.
Currently, natural gas systems loss hovers around 8.5-9.5 per cent. The government has a target to bring it down to less than 02 per cent, he added.
Petrobangla director for operations and mines Md Kamruzzaman Khan, managing director of TGTDCL Shahnawaz Parvez and managing director of Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Ltd Md Rafiqul Islam were also present at the programme.
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