Gas being wasted for pipeline leakage under river
Administration including Titas gas authority has launched an eviction drive at a limestone factory built in an attempt to illegally obtain gas connections from the main high-pressure transmission pipeline of Titas Gas in Kishoreganj’s Katiadi.
The operation was conducted at on Monday afternoon in Kazirchar village in Masuya union of Katiadi upazila. Three furnaces of the factory were demolished in the operation. At the same time, limestone stored in the factory and bricks used for the construction of furnaces were seized.
The drive, led by Executive Magistrate and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Laboni Akhter Tarana, was attended by Titas Gas’s Mymensingh Division Deputy General Manager (Regional Operations) Engineer Sumedh Moni Chakma, Manager (Operation and Maintenance) Md. Shamim Hossain, and Kishoreganj Zonal Office Manager Md. Mosharraf Hossain, along with concerned officials.
ADC (Revenue) of Kishoreganj, Nahid Hasan khan said that in Kazirchar area, there is a high-pressure main transmission pipeline of Titas Gas to supply gas from Narsingdi to Kishoreganj through the bottom of the old Brahmaputra River.
An initiative was taken to start a limestone burning factory by illegally connecting gas from that pipeline. For this, the factory infrastructure was constructed in the area near the river and three furnaces were also built.
When the Titas gas pipeline was illegally connected, a leak occurred in the pipeline.
This caused high-pressure gas to escape. Later, when unusual bubbles started appearing in the river water, suspicions arose among the locals. Initially, many thought it was a normal movement of water, but later, panic spread in the area as the number of bubbles increased.
When some locals informed Kishoreganj Deputy Commissioner (DC), Titas Gas authorities about the matter, they went to the spot and investigated.
In the initial investigation, the Titas Gas authorities believe that a hole or leakage occurred in the pipeline while trying to illegally take gas from the main transmission pipeline. Since then, gas has been leaking through the pipeline.
After the incident, the administration and Titas Gas authorities jointly started working on the issue. In continuation of this, an eviction drive was conducted there on Monday.
During the drive, three furnaces of the factory were completely demolished – so that the limestone burning activities could not be started using that establishment in the future.
It can be seen from the ground that gas is still being released from a section of the Narsingdi-Kishoreganj high-pressure main gas transmission pipeline passing through the bottom of the old Brahmaputra River. Continuous bubbles are rising from under the water and spreading to the surface of the water. At this time, the presence of local people is also seen in the area near the river.
Locals said that initially, the issue of bubbles in the water did not receive much attention. But as time passed, the number of bubbles increased, and discussions started in the area. Later, when the news reached the Titas Gas authorities through locals, the matter came under investigation.
The initial assumption of the Titas Gas authorities is that an attempt was made to illegally steal gas from the main high-pressure transmission pipeline and take it to the limestone factory under construction next to the river. At that time, gas was leaking out due to a leakage in the pipeline. Titas Gas employees are working to identify and stop the leakage.
Meanwhile, the high-pressure pipeline has been leaking gas for a long time, raising concerns about safety among locals. Locals have demanded an immediate stop to the leakage, especially in areas near the riverbanks, as gas is present.
After the raid, AC (Land) of katiadi, Laboni Akhter Tarana said that an initiative was taken to illegally set up a limestone factory. However, the factory has not been operational yet. In addition to building three furnaces, limestone was stored there. The aim was to operate the factory by illegally connecting it to gas from the main transmission pipeline of Titas Gas.
She said, “When the illegal gas connection was made, a leakage occurred in the pipeline and gas started coming out from there. All three furnaces have been completely demolished to prevent the factory from being reopened in the future.”
The limestone seized in the operation and the bricks used in the construction of the furnaces have been kept in the custody of the local union council chairman. Further action will be taken as per government rules.
Laboni Akter Tarana also said that initial information has been received about the involvement of some locals in the incident. It is initially known that the landowner had given the opportunity to use the land informally to set up an illegal factory.
However, the factory did not have any valid approval or license. The process of taking legal action against the people involved in the incident is underway. Titas Gas authorities are also preparing to file a case in this incident.
