Tragic accidents from leaking gas pipe or faulty gas stove burner are on the rise in recent times. In the latest such incident eight members of a family sustained burn injuries -from mild to severe - in Demra area. Shooter Syeda Sadia Sultana, winner of a gold medal at the South Asian Games, was admitted to the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) last Friday night. She was severely burnt in a fire accident at the time of cooking in her kitchen about a week ago. First, she was taken to Chittagong Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) but as her condition deteriorated she was shifted to the DMCH. Earlier an entire family perished following an explosion of the gas cooker on the first day of their arrival at their rented flat in the city's Mirpur. A few other such fatal accidents related either to leaked gas pipe or faulty gas cooker connection were reported from different city areas.
Now that the gas supply to residential homes has passed decades, such accidents cannot be ruled out. Gas pipes and connection points at the cooker are sure to develop wear and tears over such a long period. Much depends on maintenance of such a potential hazardous utility service. It is a fact that mechanics, who fix gas cookers, are not highly trained people. At times they are lax in setting things with the care such devices demand. Regrettably, there is no recommended standard practice here. All they do is out of common sense. So, lapses are not unexpected in the tasks they perform at the time of new connection or during refixing gas cookers. Ageing supply lines together with such inept handling exposes residents of Dhaka and other cities to the danger of gas explosion and consequent fires.
The utility service provider also seems to have washed its hands off after giving gas connection. It only announces its presence in rare cases of default in gas bill payment. There is no provision for regular check-up of gas connections. When involved here is as combustible a substance as natural gas supplied through pipe, such official check-ups should be a standard practice. How come it that there is no such check-up in decades? Gas connections may become loose when buildings are renovated or otherwise reshaped. In such cases, in particular, expert engineering skill is in demand.
Gas pressure also has something to do with the safety of gas stoves. If the pressure builds up in particular areas leaving other areas deprived of gas, there can be accidents on account of high pressure. There is seasonal variation of gas pressure too. Thank to low pressure in the winter, gas does not usually get leaked then. It is time when windows are kept closed at night and not everyone is mindful of opening the windows before lighting the gas burner. Many such do's and don'ts on the part of subscribers of gas can help avoid accidental fires in the kitchen.