Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), the regulator responsible for monitoring CNG stations to prevent meter tempering and other irregularities, has done nothing substantial to tackle the widespread fraud in the sector.
Although it conducted a two-year-long project titled “Establishment of Calibration & Verification Facilities of CNG Mass Flow Meter for CNG Filling Stations at Regional Level” to ensure correct measurements at CNG filling stations and to protect CNG meters from being tampered with, there has been little visible progress.
“The project ended in June this year, but we could not achieve the target,” said Khademul Islam, director of the project, candidly admitting its failure while talking to the Dhaka Tribune.
“Considering the issue, we are now working on purchasing necessary equipment to detect whether the standardised pressure, mass, and volume is being maintained at CNG stations. BSTI has now applied to extend the project’s tenure by two more years,” he said.
With an estimated cost of Tk52m, the project was funded by the government and ran from July 2011 to June 2013.
The objective of the project was to establish infrastructural development of CNG mass calibration/verification laboratories in Dhaka and Chittagong regional offices, as well as a tank lorry calibration centre at its Chittagong regional office.
“We could not inspect any CNG stations over the past couple of years due to a lack of equipment and manpower,” Md Khademul Islam, director of BSTI's metrology wing, told the Dhaka Tribune.
It is mentionable that during the tenure of the last caretaker government in 2007-08, BSTI undertook several drives with special instructions from the then Chief Adviser’s Office but failed to keep up the tempo after the new government took over in 2009.
BSTI officials are now holding meetings with agencies concerned to find a way to carry out the drive against meter tampering and the flouting of standards at CNG filling stations, sources confirmed.
An official at BSTI requesting anonymity told the Dhaka Tribune that they have not being able to take any action against meter tampering as the equipment required to detect tampering has not been available in the country.
The BSTI official criticised the government saying, “Without any proper planning, the government gave permissions to set up CNG filling stations. As a result, even after so many years of converting to CNG for powering vehicles in the country, the stations are not of any decent standard.”
The required standard pressure to convert natural gas to CNG is 3,000 pounds per square inch (psig) at a standard temperature of 20 degrees Celsius and .68 standard specific gravity (the ratio of gas density) of natural gas. However, during the calibration of CNG dispensers the standards are usually not maintained. As a result, the mass in the output becomes less than the standard. Meanwhile, the volume remains the same, deceiving consumers. This is why the same volume of CNG quite often gives different mileages.
There are 585 CNG stations operating in Bangladesh, serving up to 200,000 vehicles daily.
In a recent drive, a Petrobangla magistrate unearthed a wholesale scam involving meter tempering and the supplying of gas at a lower gravity, which accounted for Tk500m a month of customers’ money.
Officials of Petrobangla said no actions have yet been taken as BSTI does not have the required technical facilities to detect tampered meters.