25 November 2021 09:11 am Views - 1308
By Nirmala Kannangara
Following the Government Analyst’s reports that confirmed the cause of recent explosions in Colombo, Weligama and Kandy were due to gas leaks, the Sri Lanka Standard Institution is criticised for not taking action against the complaints received from the general public regarding leaks in gas cylinders.
On June 18 under the heading ‘Is Litro Gas above the regulator?’ and on August 25 under the heading ‘Rumble in the Sri Lanka gas market’ the Daily Mirror exclusively reported as to how the former Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) Executive Director Thushan Gunawardena’s continuous requests made to Sri Lanka Standard Institution (SLSI) Director General Dr. Siddhika Senaratne to bring regulations to introduce a standard composition in LP Gas in order to save the lives of the consumers was ignored by the latter.
From April, due to unknown reasons, the gas composition in a cylinder was changed by both Litro and Laugfs without approval from the SLSI to 50:50 of Butane and Propane respectively from Butane 80: Propane 20; which is said to be the reason for the complaints received that the valves of some cylinders were leaking.
Gunawardena told the Daily Mirror yesterday that he is confident that all these explosions were due to the change of gas composition. “I predicted such dangers way back in June this year, following a meeting other officials and I at the CAA had with State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna and DG SLSI, Siddhika Senaratne. Given that Sri Lanka is a tropical country the composition of LP Gas should have a lower percentage of Propane and a higher percentage of Butane,” Gunawardena said.
According to Gunawardena, former Chairman Litro Gas, Anil Koswatte was lost for answers when inquired as to why he got the LP Gas composition of Butane and Propane changed from a 80:20 ratio to a 50:50 ratio. I informed the SLSI how dangerous it is to have a 50:50 ratio as experts warned that a high Propane level in a domestic cylinder was dangerous and there are possibilities of an explosion taking place, but Siddhika Senaratne never took action to regulate the standard composition of the LP Gas,” Gunawardena added.
He further said as to how he sent an e-mail on June 10 to Minister Bandula Gunawardena and State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna to take immediate action to enact a regulation under section 72 of the CAA Act to ensure that gas companies do not risk the lives of the citizen by changing the composition for profiteering; ignoring the possible risk factors of Propane increase in the composition, which is hazardous to the life and property of consumers.
“I knew that this could pose a serious hazard and the possible loss of lives which has now proved to be true. Neither Bandula Gunawardena nor Lasantha Alagiyawanna took any action in response to my request,” Gunawardena claimed.