Restoration of Chattogram gas supply to be delayed

Sufferings of Chattogram city dwellers may prolong further as the authorities this morning said that it will take more time to restore gas supply.

Yesterday, the authorities said they were expecting to resume the gas supply by this afternoon.

The repair work is underway but restoration of the gas pipeline will be delayed, Khaiz Ahmed Mazumdar, managing director of Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL), told The Daily Star this morning.

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Gas supply to almost one-third area of Chattogram city comes to a halt after a gas pipeline leak in the afternoon of February 16, 2019. Photo: Md Rajib Raihan

The gas supply was suspended after an excavator of Chattogram City Corporation mistakenly drilled a hole in the pipeline during a digging work in Maitteli canal beside Akmal Ali Road Saturday afternoon.

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The gas outage in a vast area of Chattogram is continuing for the third consecutive day today which also partially disrupted industrial production and power generation.

The key pipeline provides gas to Potenga, Halishahar, Fakir Hat, Agrabad, New Market, Sadarghat, Port and EPZ areas, according to the officials.

Apart from residential areas, Chattogram and Karnaphuli export processing zones, two power stations producing total 40MW electricity and several gas refuelling stations in those areas suffered a blow following the accident.

A large number of residents in the areas, mostly garment workers, are facing difficulties due to the crisis.