One lakh prepaid metres will be installed in Chattogram city next year. A total of 291 crore 49 lakh taka is being spent on the implementation of the project.
Prepaid metres will arrive in the country from Japan on November 29 to save gas consumption and prevent wastage in Chittagong. Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited's (KGDCL) self-financed project aims to prevent wastage of natural gas, ensure cost-effective use and reduce gas consumption. KGDCL customers will get 1 lakh more prepaid metres.
According to KGDCL sources, the project funded by JICA started in 2015 that was completed in 2019 at a cost of Tk 247 crore. Karnaphuli Gas has a total of 6 lakh residential customers. KGDCL brought 60,000 customers under prepaid meters in the first phase through the Natural Gas Efficiency Project.
If the project is implemented, the city's Sadarghat, Bayezid, Chandgaon, Panchlaish, Chawkbazar, Halishahar, Pahartali, Khulshi, EPZ, Bakolia, Kotwali, Doublemooring, Bandar, Patenga, Akbarshah and Hathazari, Sitakunda, Mirsharai, Karnaphuli, Anwara, Patiya, Boalkhali and Chandanish in the district. Upazila KGDCL customers will get prepaid meter.
KGDCL has undertaken the second phase of the project to install prepaid meters for residential customers in February 2021 to install one lakh meters. In the initial phase, the cost of this project is estimated at 241 crore 61 lakh taka. Implementation was scheduled to last until June 2023. However, the work of this project was delayed due to various complications. After that, the cost of the project increased to 291 crore 49 lakh taka. The time has been extended till June 2025.
Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company (KGDCL) Deputy General Manager Engineer Md. NahidAlam said there are 6 lakh gas stoves in Chittagong. One lakh more residential prepaid meters are installed in Chittagong. An agreement was signed with the Japanese company Toyokeiki Company Limited on September 19 to install these meters. These meters will be installed in cities and districts by June 2025. Customers will be billed as much gas as they use. This will reduce gas wastage and save customer money. A meter charge of Tk 100 has to be paid. Apart from this, customers do not have to pay any money for demand charges or VAT.
In the first phase, 60,000 customers were brought under prepaid meters. This has reduced the customer's bill and saved gas. Gas wastage reduced due to prepaid meters. In continuation of this, KGDCL has undertaken the project of laying another one lakh meters in the second phase. The cost of this project is estimated at 291 crore 49 lakh taka. The first shipment of prepaid meters will reach the country on November 29. Installation of meters will start from the first week of January.
He said, through this new project, one lakh customers of cities and districts are being brought under prepaid meters. Customers can recharge the required amount of gas at the meter just like recharging mobile phone. Customers will save Tk 200-250 per stove on prepaid meter.
