April 03, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 25, 1429

PESHAWAR, April 2: The sale of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is continuing in parts of the provincial capital without fulfilling legal requirements and safety measures posing serious threat to the lives and properties of people.

With increase in prices of petroleum products, the use of LPG has increased manifold in the metropolis and the LPG business is thriving with the opening of new sale-points especially in the slum areas. Majority of the LPG filling shops are located in the narrow streets of densely populated areas but none of the shopkeepers has bothered to arrange safety kits.

In case of emergency, rescuers could hardly reach a site, an official of the fire department said, and firefighters are facing great difficulties while extinguishing fire. He emphasised upon the City District Government to remove the LPG shops from the population.

Rehmat Khan, a shopkeeper in Faqirabad, said most of the gas-cylinders had got rusted and due to frequent use they had got de-shaped, which could easily leak and catch fire.

An official of the district government said the duty of checking LPG outlets had been assigned to the concerned officials of every town. However, the shopkeepers were supposed to keep a first-aid box with necessary medicines, three buckets of sand, safety cylinders and water. He said government officials were duty-bound to visit the shops and check whether the requirements had been fulfilled or not.

Industrial Development Officer Mujahid Khan, when contacted, said his office used to distribute instructions set by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority for the LPG outlets. He said opening of LPG shops in basements, multi-story buildings, close to mosques, hotels, wilding-shops, schools, residential plazas and population were strictly prohibited.

He said electric motors were not allowed for refilling gas and a shop needed to be well-ventilated. The name of the owner, gas price and name of an operator must be written prominently on a board.

Mr Khan pointed out that most of the gas-cylinders, which are commonly sold in the shops, were made of substandard materials and could easily burst.