Leave declared in 20 factories in Mymensingh amid gas crisis

Industrial Police has said production has been disrupted in 20 factories of Bhaluka industrial area in Mymensingh due to acute gas crisis leading to leave for the workers. Industrial Police said production is also being severely disrupted in other factories of the area due to low gas pressure.

Superintendent of Industrial Police-5 Md Ansar Uddin said the gas crisis took a severe form from the morning. Workers came to the factories amid the shortage of gas. Later workers of 20 factories were given leave step by step until lunch time. Production is also being extremely disrupted in the remaining factories on Thursday (August 20).

Industrial Police said there is some gas pressure in the factories of Bhaluka municipal area and around Titas Gas office but there is no gas pressure at all in the distant factories.

Production of one factory after another is coming to a halt due to lack of gas pressure as per demand. Owners are being forced to keep more than half of the machines shut in some factories. The authorities claimed that overall production in the major industrial factories of this region has come down to half.

According to information of Industrial Police-5 there are a total of 293 factories in Bhaluka industrial area. Among them 99 are gas-dependent. At present almost every one of these factories is facing acute gas crisis. Attempts are being made to keep partial production running by using generators and electricity but that is inadequate compared to the requirement. This is having a major negative impact on the overall production system.

Review of Industrial Police information shows that textile and yarn manufacturing factories have been the most affected by the gas crisis.

Manager (System Operation) of Titas Gas Bhaluka regional office Shamim Hossain said gas is supplied to Bhaluka area through two separate lines of 140 and 50 PSI. But currently 30 to 50 PSI gas is being received. Gas pressure has also decreased due to low supply.