News
People fear to cook by gas, some switching to alternative modes
Amid the fear of COVID-19 and the rising cost of living, many Sri Lankan families have had another tale added to their woes. This concerns the use of cylinders of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) for cooking, after several gas cylinder incidents and explosions took place over the past few weeks.
More than 40 cooking gas related incidents or explosions were reported from many parts of the country. These were in areas including Weligama, Kaariyamadiththa, Ethanamadala, Mahara, Kosowita, Veyangoda, Anuradhapura, Negombo, Agama, Kurana, Hungama, Walasmulla, Kundasale, Katugastota, Dimbula, Hatton, Athurugiriya, Hanwella, Jaffna, Chilaw, Marawila and Kantale.
With many people and institutions blowing hot and cold concerning the reasons and causes, the issue remains at large without much clarity on the reasons for such incidents and explosions, driving fears into the minds of the people.
The people are more concerned about safety than the science of matters or the rhetorics and analysis of some politicians without any specialised or basic knowledge on the incidents.
The Sunday Times spoke to many people who said they were too nervous to use cooking gas in their homes, and preferred to use it only if necessary. Many concerned users expressed their worries on the safety of their loved ones and some had switched to alternate modes such as electricity and kerosene.
A Rajagiriya housewife and grandmother P. Lalitha, said, “my two teenage grandchildren are not allowed to use the gas cooker if they are home alone. The gas is turned off if we leave. If they need to make a cup of tea, they have to use the electric kettle. These incidents have brought fear into our own home with the cylinder we got paying a premium price after standing in a queue for many hours.”
Retired teacher Bernadette Perera said “We have recently installed fire extinguishers around the house and have taught everyone how to use them. But not everyone have the finances to do so during these hard times. Call it being paranoid, but I want to be as safe as possible because a gas explosion is no joke and can leave lifelong scars and burns even if we manage to escape death. As a retired teacher I prefer to have peace and quiet in the safety of my home and not these issues that could have been averted if the officials concerned acted with a sense of responsibility and due diligence.”
A Mahara resident said there was a gas related explosion in her kitchen on December 2.
“After I finished cooking, I was cleaning the kitchen and there was a noise followed by the sound of shattering glass.”
Though no one was injured the main concern was that the gas cooker was not in use at the time of the incident.
University student Shehan Weerasinghe said “I am deeply concerned due to the number of explosions within a short time and the cause is still a mystery. I do not feel safe in my own house and kitchen anymore. This used to be a place of comfort as cooking is my hobby. Another concerning factor is that the LPG cylinders do not contain important technical details such as the composition of LPG, the safety precautions to be adopted or a number to call in case of an emergency.”
Nawala housewife Amelia Cooke said, “I bought a new cylinder a few days before the first reported incident and I am worried about using it. The cylinder that we use now was bought a few months ago. I am anxious about the day we have to use the new one. I have been thinking of buying an electric gas cooker if the issue is not solved soon.”
Several people who did not wish to be quoted said there had been leaks from the valve of the cylinder itself. One North Central Province resident said the LPG cylinder still to be used was lighter in weight, a clear indication of a gas leak, despite the protective plastic seal still intact.
Litro Gas users Lacille De Silva, Sudesh Silva, Priyantha Wickremasinghe, M. N. Moulana and Lal Perera made a written complaint to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Director on Thursday, calling for action against the officials responsible for endangering the lives of the Sri Lankan people.
In their complaint to the CID, they had taken up the position that “As consumers of Litro Gas and in the interest of the people who use Litro Gas, we are concerned about many gas related explosions in various parts of the country. It is an offence to manufacture gas in a manner that causes danger to the people, including us.”
They have also asked the CID Director to investigate under sections 293 and 298 of the Penal Code, dealing with culpable homicide and causing death by negligence.
Attorney Senaka Perera said this group of consumers would be filing action in the Wattala Magistrate Court against five respondents including top officials of Litro Gas, Consumer Affairs Ministry Secretary and the Consumer Affairs State Minister.
“Our main aim is to ensure that the distribution of LP gas by the Litro Gas company does not endanger the safety of users. This is of paramount importance,” he said.
Amid all these complaints, opinions and rhetorics, one undeniable factor still remains: The fear of the people to use LPG gas as they fear it poses a threat to the safety of their loved ones, despite paying a price that was an all time high with limited supplies.
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