HAVING little access to piped natural gas, households are compelled to use gas cylinders, and that puts their lives at stake. Recently, 12 people, including five from a single family, lost their lives and several others were injured in two separate gas cylinder explosions.

Moreover, the onset of Ramazan has increased the vulnerability and risk of deadly blasts as unreliable gas supply by the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has further pushed even more households to opt for these dangerous cylinders. Clearly, it is primarily a government failure that a large number of citizens have no access to natural gas. Consequently, people resort to using gas cylinders which puts their lives at risk.

To solve the problem, a nationwide education campaign regarding cylinder safety should be launched, and various Ramazan transmissions hosted by TV channels should include warnings for their viewers about the potential risks of using pressurised gas.

Besides, the rather unregulated cylinder refilling industry also needs tighter monitoring and governmental control. Urgent measures are required to address the issue comprehensively and as soon as possible. The government should strive and respond proactively to prevent such accidents from happening in the future.

Syed Zamin Ali
Larkana

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2024