KATHMANDU: It’s the safety factor,

again. Gas Dealers’ Federation of Nepal (GDFN) Gyaneshwor Aryal today said that there are 27 gas industries existing and 14 more are in the pipeline

but those existing lack a scientific hydraulic test machine. Hydraulic test is done after 10 years of the cylinder’s dispatch and thereafter at three-year intervals to ensure that the cylinder is in perfect condition before it is refilled.

“We have many cylinders in the market that have

not been taken for the

hydraulic test even after 15 years of use,” said Aryal adding that people

should realise that defective cylinders can cause household accidents.

He added that the

government should monitor the market and check ISO standards and Explosive Act-approved cylinders and regulators.

Meanwhile, chief district officer Bhola Bahadur

Shiwakoti said an agreement has been signed

between District Administration Office (DAO), Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), Nepal Bureau of Standard and Metrology (NBSM), GDFN, and LPG industrialists. According to it, all industrialists should instal hydraulic test machines within a month and dispose of those cylinders that

do not pass the hydraulic test. The gas distribution quota should be fixed according to the purchased quantity of cylinders.

“Low quality cylinders and inferior kit parts used are all sensitive issues, and we are in an immediate need to make the household cylinders risk-free,” said Shiwakoti.

“There are number of gas industries that have cylinders with no hydraulic test, and along with the agreement we also have directed NOC to take initiatives for a control mechanism for defective cylinders,” he said adding that within two months cylinders with expired warranty period will be disposed of.

According to Aryal, the hydraulic test machine should be imported from India which costs around Rs 9 lakh. There is a

consumption of 12,000 metric tonne of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) per month. Consumption of LPG is increasing by 10 per cent every year and the risk of household accidents is also increasing simultaneously due to the lack of control mechanisms.