Titas Gas Repairs Ruptured Pipeline in Kishoreganj Following Multi-Million Taka Leakage
Photo Collected
Titas Gas transmission engineers have successfully repaired a major pipeline rupture beneath the Arial Khan River in Katiadi, Kishoreganj, ending a 50-day environmental and supply crisis. The breach, which had been leaking significant quantities of natural gas into the river, was permanently sealed late Wednesday night following a complex underwater operation.
The leak was first detected by local residents in the Kazirchar area of Mosua Union nearly two months ago. While the initial discharge was minimal, pressure mounted significantly over the last fortnight, resulting in visible gas plumes erupting through the water’s surface like fountains. The disruption caused severe gas shortages across large sections of Kishoreganj town, though utility officials report that supplies have begun to stabilize and normalize following the repair.
According to Titas Gas authorities, the damage was caused by an attempt to install an illegal connection. Perpetrators had drilled a 1.5-inch hole into the high-pressure pipeline but failed to secure the bypass, leading to the prolonged leak. Remediation efforts required specialized technology, including a three-tier piling process to displace river water around the pipe before technicians could weld the rupture shut.
Estimates regarding the total loss of gas vary significantly. Titas Gas regional manager Md. Shamim Hossain stated that losses averaged five to six lakh taka per day toward the end of the operation. However, other officials involved in the repair—speaking on condition of anonymity—suggested the financial impact was far higher, estimating that at least 20 crore taka worth of gas may have been lost over the duration of the leak.
Legal proceedings are now underway, as Titas Gas filed a formal case on Tuesday under the Bangladesh Gas Act, 2010. The complaint names Delwar Hossain Talukdar, the owner of a local lime factory, and Suman Mia, the owner of the land where the incident occurred, as primary suspects alongside several unidentified accomplices. Local police report that the suspects have since gone into hiding, though efforts to apprehend them remain ongoing.
Government agencies confirmed that the disaster was a direct result of the unauthorized attempt to tap into the main transmission line. In the wake of the incident, local administration demolished the illegal lime factory and seized 7,800 cubic feet of limestone. Mosua Union Parishad Chairman Abu Bakkar Siddique noted that the incident caused widespread alarm among local residents, adding that community vigilance is now necessary to prevent similar illicit industrial activities in the future.
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