76 factories in Bhaluka may face closure due to gas crisis
Industrial operations in Mymensingh’s Bhaluka upazila have been badly interrupted by severe gas shortages; for the past five days, productivity has been reduced by 40 to 60 percent due to dropping pressure. Industry stakeholders claim that 76 gas-dependent enterprises in the industrial zone are currently in danger of closing, endangering both the stability of the local economy and thousands of jobs.
According to Superintendent Ansar Uddin of the Industrial Police Region-5, 76 of the 293 industries in the zone’s dyeing and spinning units are totally dependent on gas. The supply is still insufficient even as 217 establishments use generators to try to sustain partial operations. Assistant Superintendent Gopinath Kanjilal said that reduced pressure compelled 20 businesses, including Mahadi Sweaters and Liz Fashion, to offer early leaves. Colonel (Retd.) Zahid issued a warning, ‘Our factories will inevitably have to shut down in phases if the gas crisis persists’.
Similarly, Md. Noman, Administration Manager of Hamid Textile Mill, stated that running boilers on diesel owing to a dangerously low gas supply has significantly increased production expenses while reducing productivity by 30 to 50 percent. Since continuous diesel use is still not economically viable for long-term production operations in the cutthroat industrial sector, this circumstance generates urgent closure concerns for their 1,000-person factory.
Shamim Hossain, Manager of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company’s Bhaluka regional office, explained the main cause: the area now receives just 40 to 55 PSI of gas, compared to a normal need of 300 PSI. Residential lines are unaffected, but the falling industrial sector has to be saved, and normal pressure must be restored immediately.
