THE storage of cylinders of liquefied petroleum gas in basements of blocks of flats in Dhaka, as experts fear, creates high risks for urban disasters. This is so because large gas cylinders, generally with a net gas weight of 45 kilograms contained under high pressure, could potentially act like stacks of bombs that would not only flatten buildings, if they explode, but could also wreak havoc in the surroundings. The series of weak and light earthquakes after a moderate earthquake of a magnitude of 5.5 that occurred in the morning on November 21 has woken up experts, authorities and citizens alike to the danger. Experts, therefore, say that gas cylinders should not be stored in the basements of blocks of flats. The authorities suspended fresh gas supply connections to households in 2010, then started giving connections briefly and, finally, stopped laying out gas pipes to houses in 2014. Such a situation has forced primarily households to use liquefied petroleum gas contained in cylinders. Another issue that has come up is that piped gas systems that state-owned Titas Gas Distribution Company runs have a section-wise shutdown system, but it is not automatic in the event of earthquakes.
All this altogether makes both the gas pipeline network and the storage of liquefied petroleum gas in containers dangerous. And, all this points to an inadequacy in the regulatory framework for high-rises, where, in many cases, building owners run a supply system from large cylinders, and in cases of piped gas supply, with no automatic section-wise shutdown system. Experts believe that the proposition is now the gravest risk for the capital city. The explosives department rules require licensing for anyone storing more than 10 gas cylinders and strict safety compliance such as ventilation, fire-resistant enclosures and periodic inspection. Explosives department officials, however, say that they are aware of the risks, but are short-handed. The department has only 109 members on the staff and it cannot inspect thousands of buildings. Besides, the department does not have its own testing laboratory to examine the quality of gas cylinders. It usually depends on resources at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology for testing. The department also lacks enforcement capacity. The risk of fire from gas cylinder explosion is also grave in view of at least 500 such fires that the Fire Service and Civil Defence records to have happened in five years. More than 100 people died in such gas cylinder explosion fire.
The government appears to have, in such a situation, a number of issues to shore up, especially in the storage of gas cylinders in building basements and making the section-wise shutdown of the piped supply network automatic. But the authorities should first work out the regulatory framework for governance and the protocol for gas users along with stepping up enforcement efforts.