Titas to overhaul ageing accident-prone pipelines in capital

Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company is going to take up a massive project to overhaul its age-old gas pipelines in Dhaka metropolitan city to make the flow more smooth and minimize risks of accidents.
Official sources said the plan for changing the ageing pipelines came to be regarded as the core needs amid a series of recent explosions and fire accidents blamed on faulty and leaking lines.
When a huge explosion killed at least six people and injured several others in Moghbazar in last June, fire service officials suspected leakage in Titas gas line as the cause.
Leakage in Titas pipeline at a mosque in Fatullah led to the explosions in six air conditioners leaving at least 27 people killed and over a dozen injured during Friday prayers in 2020, in one of country's worst gas explosions.
These tragic incidents apart, the issue of the leakage in pipelines also came to the attention of the authorities when Titas Gas started installing pre-paid meters in parts of the city. Titas officials said their teams found huge leakages in pipelines in both customers' end as well as utility end when they worked for pre-paid gas meters in recent years.
Admitting the issue, a top official of Titas Gas said that they are now working on the ministry's instructions to overhaul the pipelines. According to official sources, initially a plan was earlier submitted to the energy and mineral resources division of the ministry of power, energy and mineral resources for approval. But it was reverted to the Titas Gas authority with some observations and suggestions to accommodate those in the plan, said a senior official of energy and mineral resources division.
 "We've sent back the relevant file with some observations and suggestions to follow those in their plan to make it more effective", he told UNB preferring anonymity as he was not authorized to speak on the issue.
Titas Gas general manager (planning and development) Shafiqul Islam, who is dealing with the plan, informed that the organisation's current plan is to conduct a techno-economic feasibility study first and then prepare a design based on its report to implement the proposed pipeline replacement project.  "Preparing a geographic information system (GIS) mapping is also part of the plan", he added.
He said the Titas Gas authority is now in a process to appoint a consultant to conduct the study.
Official sources said as per the plan the Titas Gas will replace the aged-old pipeline in 60 administrative zones, out of total 139 zones across its command area.
The proposed area is mainly located in the Dhaka metropolitan city although Titas has a vast network elsewhere including in Narayanganj, Savar, Manikganj, Munshiganj, Mymensing and Norsingdi. Officials said the pipeline replacement project will be implemented by the Titas' own funds.
However, the financial involvement in the project is yet to be determined as this will depend on the report of the techno-economic feasibility study and on the basis of the next design.    -UNB