Following increasing cases of gas explosion in some parts of the country,
the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDRA), Nasarawa State, has shut three gas plants for violating the regulatory law in the state.
The authority has equally warned operators to desist from flaunting safety measures to avoid cases of explosion in the state.
Controller of NMDRA in Nasarawa state, Ahmed Gwaram, who gave the warning Wednesday in Lafia, said, safety in the Petroleum Gas subsector was becoming a source of concern to Nigerians and othe stakeholders in the industry.
According to Gwaram, although the state was yet to experience case of gas explosion in the state in recent time, the authority has however, evolved safety measures through the deployment of surveillance teams across urban and rural centres in the state.
“Nasarawa office has shut three gas plants that were illegally constructed in Lafia, Keffi and Karu local government areas. public enlightenment will be intensified in the coming weeks with messages deployed in local languages in the ongoing drive to avert accidents.
Gwaram however noted that Nasarawa office is working hard to ensure that only those knowledgeable in the product are allowed license to operate adding that stations are not allowed around residential areas.
While attributing the rising incidences of explosion in some parts of the country to poor safety procedures, ignorance among vendors and end users, Gwaram explained further that some operators go through “black door” to obtain approvals to operate where the end result have been explosion.
“many end users have little knowledge about cylinders and how to handle same.
“Cylinders have expiration date, and quantity of gas each can take, but you find out that most of the cylinders customers take to stations are out of use with information on expiration date and quantity already lost”.
“So often times, cylinders are filled beyond the capacity they can take. And because of the nature of gas, it will continue to bounce inside the cylinder, extending it beyond limit. Any little contact can result to explosion at that point,” he stated.
He said the authority in the state, has already commenced public enlightenment and sensitisation on how to identify substandard cylinders from the originals, and also rusty and old ones, targeting gas stations, plants and homes.
