Gas crisis, power cuts halt factory production in Gorai

Most of the factories production in Gorai, which is known as industrial hub in Mirzapur has remain suspended nearly for one month as Bangladesh has been witnessing a massive power cuts and severe gas shortages.

The prolonged shortage has left factory owners facing huge financial losses and workers and employees worried about their jobs. CNG filling stations along the Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Bridge Highway are also experiencing an acute gas shortage, forcing hundreds of vehicles to wait for hours without being able to refuel.

The crisis has also affected households in Mirzapur, with many residents reportedly unable to cook due to the lack of gas.

A visit to Ma CNG Filling Station, Shila Brishti CNG Filling Station, Natiapara CNG Filling Station and Baoikhola High Pressure CNG Filling Station on Saturday found hundreds of vehicles waiting beside the highway because of inadequate gas pressure.Drivers and transport workers were seen waiting for hours under the scorching sun.

Chandan Sarkar, Abul Hossain and Nasir Uddin, managers of three CNG filling stations, said gas pressure had remained extremely low for the past 20-25 days. “Vehicles remain parked beside the road for hours, but we cannot supply them with gas. Even when gas becomes available occasionally, we can provide only Tk 100-200 worth of gas to a vehicle,” they said.

The shortage has also affected households in the area. Many families are reportedly unable to cook because of the lack of gas. Some have been forced to buy prepared food from shops, while others have started using firewood for cooking.

Engineer Md Jewel Rana, manager of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd, said the shortage was caused by inadequate pressure in the main gas pipeline.

“As there is insufficient pressure in the main line, industries and households are not getting adequate gas pressure. We have informed our higher authorities about the matter. Work is underway, and we hope the problem will be resolved within five to seven days,” he said. A visit to the Gorai industrial area and several CNG filling stations on Saturday found long queues of vehicles waiting for gas.

Factory officials said production at many establishments had been disrupted or completely halted because of inadequate gas pressure.

There are more than 50 large and small factories in the Gorai industrial area, including garment, knitting and dyeing and yarn manufacturing plants. Major establishments include Nahid Cotton Mills, Compit Composite Knit Ltd, Newtex Group of Industries, Khan Garments, Southeast Textiles, Meghna Group of Industries, Shirin Spinning Mills, Nasir Group of Industries, Bengal NKF and Mondal Group of Industries.
Officials of 10 major factories, speaking on condition of anonymity, said gas pressure had remained inadequate for 20-25 days, forcing them to suspend production.

They said severe load shedding had further worsened the situation and that they had repeatedly informed the relevant authorities about the crisis.
“Production has been suspended, causing losses amounting to crores of taka. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of workers and employees are worried about losing their jobs,” one factory official said.
The Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Bridge Highway is a major transport route connecting the northern districts with Dhaka. Thousands of vehicles from 22 northern districts, as well as Tangail, Jamalpur and Sherpur, use the highway every day.
There are 19 CNG filling stations on each side of the roughly 70-kilometre stretch from the eastern end of the Jamuna Bridge to Chandra in Kaliakair. These stations have also been facing a severe gas shortage for the past 20-25 days.