Crackdown on illegal gas connections in Korail slum cuts gas supply in Gulshan
Officials said engineers found that the gas lines supplying the Korail slum were deeply entangled with the main distribution network of Gulshan-1 and Gulshan-2
A major gas supply disruption has hit Dhaka's upscale Gulshan area after Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited launched a crackdown on illegal gas connections in the nearby Korail slum.
The drive, which began on Thursday, caused a complete suspension of gas supply in Gulshan-1 and Gulshan-2, severely affecting households, restaurants, and offices in one of the city's main business and diplomatic hubs.
"We started the drive on Thursday. It's like a spider web — illegal connections have been taken from all sides of the slum. In some cases, it's very difficult for us to detect these illegal taps as they were made using sophisticated methods," said Monzur Aziz, deputy general manager (Gas) of Titas.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Officials said engineers found that the gas lines supplying the Korail slum were deeply entangled with the main distribution network of Gulshan-1 and Gulshan-2.
To prevent potential hazards and ensure safety, Titas suspended the gas supply across the area.
"Gas connections in the Korail slum are interlinked with the supply pipe of Gulshan-1 and 2. For the safety of the entire area, we had to cut the total supply," Aziz said.
Speaking to The Business Standard, Titas officials could not say when the situation would return to normal.
The sudden suspension has left many residents without cooking gas, while hotels, restaurants, and corporate offices have reported major operational disruptions.
Frustrated residents of the Gulshan area staged a demonstration today (13 October), protesting the prolonged outage and urging authorities to restore the supply urgently.
"We understand the need to remove illegal connections, but the authorities should have planned it better. We have been without gas for days now," said a Gulshan resident.
Titas officials, however, said the drive is essential to ensure proper use of natural gas and prevent illegal consumption.
The Korail slum, located between Gulshan and Banani, has long been known as one of Dhaka's largest hubs of unauthorised utility connections.
The ongoing operation is part of a broader Titas campaign to curb gas theft, which causes significant financial losses to the state.
As of today, residents of the greater Gulshan area remain uncertain about when the gas supply will be fully restored.
