ISLAMABAD: As the temperature dipped and natural gas supply shortened, the demand of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has increased. However, the citizens are not aware of the substandard and poor quality cylinders, which pose serious threat to their life.
But the profiteers are selling these substandard cylinders without any check and fear. Due to high demand, marketing companies increase security of cylinders. The security of 11 kg new cylinder approved by marketing companies is somewhere around Rs4000, whereas the local manufactured cylinder cost around Rs1500-2000. These local made cylinders are available in 11 kg, 15 kg, 27 kg and 47 kg capacity and the markets are flooded with them.
All Pakistan LPG Distributors Association President Irfan Khokhar said that the low-quality cylinders are like selling time bombs to every household. “We have filed complains that more than 470 units are manufacturing low quality LPG cylinders in Gujranwala but Ogra has done nothing in this regard.”
Cylinder manufacturing is very technical job and need precision and engineering excellence, as the cylinder has to bear the pressure of the gas, weather and abuse during travel and shifting, if it is not hydraulically tested, its welds are not checked for leakage at high pressure, it could leak or burst anytime, he elaborated.
Khokar said it was duty of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority to check the cylinders and seal factories which are making low quality products, for the safety of the general public.
The company approved or filled domestic empty cylinder weights more than 10 kg, the empty 15 kg capacity gas cylinder would be around 15 kg, while the weight of local substandard empty cylinder would not be more then 6-7 kg, consumers could avoid substandard cylinders if they only weight it before buying and refuse to take rusted and de-shaped cylinders, which are obviously near expiry or are already expired, Khalid Hussain, another gas seller advised.
The OGRA officials said that it was the duty of HDIP to check the cylinders. No one from HDIP was available to comment on record, however, officials said that due to shortage of staff, they were unable to perform their duties. They said that they have state of the art laboratories but lack staff to operate them.
