Pakistan is currently the world’s leading CNG consumer with over 2.5 million vehicles running on CNG supplied by more than 3600 CNG fuelling stations. A majority of both public and private transport vehicles have switched to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as fuel, but the authorities have failed to put in place a proper mechanism to check the quality of CNG cylinders or take action against workshops involved in the installation of substandard CNG cylinders in vehicles.
A number of illegal workshops that are installing substandard cylinders — which are of poor quality and have inadequate gas filling capacity — continue to thrive in various parts of the city.
A survey conducted by Pakistan Today revealed that the authorities concerned have turned a blind eye toward this issue and are taking no action despite the hazard posed to the public by these cylinders.
In addition, despite an increase in incidents of CNG cylinder explosions, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and the Hydrocarbon Development Instituted of Pakistan (HDIP) have so far failed to establish cylinder-testing laboratories in the private sector. This negligence continues to result in frequent casualties.
An official of the HDIP has revealed that according to regulations, HDIP is under the obligation to check cylinders every five years after installation and issue fitness certificates. “A majority of cylinder blasts occur due to inadequate capacity and such unfortunate explosions could be easily avoided if there are properly equipped cylinder-testing laboratories which conduct periodic CNG cylinder checks.”
Shakeel Ahmed, the general ,anager of HDIP, said that the organization has the facility to conduct cylinder tests, but according to the 1992 CNG rules it became the responsibility of vehicles owners to bring their vehicles in for testing. Ahmed also clarified that regulations do not allow ordinary workshops to install CNG cylinder and kits as this remains the duty of CNG filling stations, “It is the responsibility of OGRA to take action against workshops which are installing substandard cylinders in vehicles,” he said. He went on to add that HDIP cylinder testing laboratories exist in all the provincial capitals.
The chairman of OGRA, Mansoor Muzaffar, concurred that regulations give only CNG filling stations the right to install CNG cylinders and kits. He told Pakistan Today that OGRA is mandated to only identify illegal workshops and report them to the chief commissioner of Islamabad, whose duty it is to act against them. Muzaffar further claimed that OGRA has sent many letters to the chief commissioner in this regard.
Adnan Zab, a commuter, said that overloaded public wagons further increase the fear of CNG cylinder explosions, especially at filling stations, “The threat can be averted if a proper cylinder-testing laboratory with the required equipment is established and a periodic checking of the CNG cylinders is conducted,” he opined. He further said that if the authorities fail to take immediate action in this regard, CNG cylinder explosion are bound to increase. He also demanded that the authorities launch an awareness campaign in this regard.
Muhammad Karman, another commuter, stressed the need for authorities to take action against workshops installing poor quality CNG cylinders.
