Gas crisis grips Kochua as winter sets in

Kochua Sadar upazila has been in the grip of an acute gas crisis for the past three and a half years, which has become worse this winter. Many hoteliers and restaurateurs as well as numerous housewives complained that they have to wait for gas to come in their pipelines from 5am to 10pm every day. Several housewives—Ayesha Akter, Parul Begum, Roxana  Begum, Shuvadra Rani,   Khoshnahar, Masuda Begum, Shonchita Podder, Sheuly Akter, Noorjahan Begum, Taslima,  Benu Akter, Nazma Begum and Shuraiyya Akter—and other consumers in Kochua Sadar town narrated their woes to this  correspondent. One of them said, “We are fed up with the gas crisis. For want of gas, we have to use stoves or gas cylinders, or logs of felled trees, as ‘alternative fuels’ to cook foods in earthen ovens at home. Yet, we have to pay high gas bills every month, and that too on time.”

Upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Nilima Afroz herself lamented to this correspondent: “I myself have been seriously affected in this respect. For want of gas, I have to use two gas cylinders

every month to carry out my household work.”

All staff members of the upazila health complex, too, face the same problem. Sunrise KG School’s principal, Manik Bhowmik, and some other gas consumers of Polashpur and Koya areas in the town, too, groused about the gas crisis in their pipelines, which they said has been going on for close to four years now.        

Proprietors of restaurants and hotels like Sohel Bhuiyan, Abul Kalam and a few others in Kochua Sadar town, too, vented their ire. They complained that they are unable to run their businesses smoothly because of the gas crisis, which has been going on for over three-and-a-half years now. The owner of a Chinese restaurant and many other restaurateurs at Kochua Sadar told this correspondent that they have been incurring losses every month because of the scarcity of gas. They have perforce to use gas cylinders, or, more often, stoves, or pieces of felled trees, as fuel in their earthen ovens. This is “so obnoxious and polluting”, as one of them pointed out.

An estimate shows there are over 3,500 gas consumers, both domestic and commercial, in Kochua Sadar upazila and adjacent areas.

Kochua upazila chairman Shahjahan Shishir told this correspondent that he has contacted  the authorities and asked them to look into the matter and solve it speedily in the public interest, but no result can be seen yet.

Kochua UNO Nilima Afroze told this correspondent that she has talked to Engineer Sagir Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Gouripur Gas Transmission Centre. He and other officials have explained to her that “the gas crisis is a national problem, which becomes more acute in winter”. They assured her that steps have been taken to connect an additional gas pipeline from the neighbouring Gouripur area to Kochua Sadar. It will take time to restore proper gas flow in the gas pipelines, they added. Till then, every gas consumer will have to wait patiently.   

The long-suffering housewives and businessmen and traders have informed the local MP and former home minister, Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, about this problem. He has assured them that the gas crisis would be solved as he has contacted the authorities in this regard.

 

Gas crisis grips Kochua as winter sets in

Kochua Sadar upazila has been in the grip of an acute gas crisis for the past three and a half years, which has become worse this winter. Many hoteliers and restaurateurs as well as numerous housewives complained that they have to wait for gas to come in their pipelines from 5am to 10pm every day. Several housewivesAyesha Akter, Parul Begum, Roxana Begum, Shuvadra Rani, Khoshnahar, Masuda Begum, Shonchita Podder, Sheuly Akter, Noorjahan Begum, Taslima, Benu Akter, Nazma Begum and Shuraiyya Akterand other consumers in Kochua Sadar town narrated their woes to this correspondent. One of them said, We are fed up with the gas crisis. For want of gas, we have to use stoves or gas cylinders, or logs of felled trees, as alternative fuels to cook foods in earthen ovens at home. Yet, we have to pay high gas bills every month, and that too on time. Upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Nilima Afroz herself lamented to this correspondent: I myself have been seriously affected in this respect. For want of gas, I have to use two gas cylinders every month to carry out my household work. All staff members of the upazila health complex, too, face the same problem. Sunrise KG Schools principal, Manik Bhowmik, and some other gas consumers of Polashpur and Koya areas in the town, too, groused about the gas crisis in their pipelines, which they said has been going on for close to four years now. Proprietors of restaurants and hotels like Sohel Bhuiyan, Abul Kalam and a few others in Kochua Sadar town, too, vented their ire. They complained that they are unable to run their businesses smoothly because of the gas crisis, which has been going on for over three-and-a-half years now. The owner of a Chinese restaurant and many other restaurateurs at Kochua Sadar told this correspondent that they have been incurring losses every month because of the scarcity of gas. They have perforce to use gas cylinders, or, more often, stoves, or pieces of felled trees, as fuel in their earthen ovens. This is so obnoxious and polluting, as one of them pointed out. An estimate shows there are over 3,500 gas consumers, both domestic and commercial, in Kochua Sadar upazila and adjacent areas. Kochua upazila chairman Shahjahan Shishir told this correspondent that he has contacted the authorities and asked them to look into the matter and solve it speedily in the public interest, but no result can be seen yet. Kochua UNO Nilima Afroze told this correspondent that she has talked to Engineer Sagir Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Gouripur Gas Transmission Centre. He and other officials have explained to her that the gas crisis is a national problem, which becomes more acute in winter. They assured her that steps have been taken to connect an additional gas pipeline from the neighbouring Gouripur area to Kochua Sadar. It will take time to restore proper gas flow in the gas pipelines, they added. Till then, every gas consumer will have to wait patiently. The long-suffering housewives and businessmen and traders have informed the local MP and former home minister, Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, about this problem. He has assured them that the gas crisis would be solved as he has contacted the authorities in this regard.