- Demand of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders is soaring in the run up to the festivities on Thursday
- Old gas canisters are being refilled without the right equipment and sold on with a monthly turnover of trade said to be worth more than Rs 15 crore
- Earlier this month two children died in a fire thought to have been started by a gas cylinder which had been refilled
- See more news from India at www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome
With the demand of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders soaring during the festive season, the refilling of canisters is turning out to be a potentially lethal multi-million business for unscrupulous people in Gurugram.
The organised form of crime starts from gas distribution agencies when vendors come out with cylinders for sale – but the unregulated practice can put life in danger. It happens throughout the year but peaks during Diwali.
Mail Today reached one of the points in the posh Palam Vihar locality in Gurugram where a tempo laden with LPG cylinders was found stationed in front of a refilling point. Both residential and commercial cylinders were found and a few were also found inside the shop.
Demand of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders is soaring in the run up to the festivities
‘The tempo of a local gas distributor stops here every morning and operators take out at least two kg gas from every cylinder. They transfer the gas from the filled cylinder to an empty cylinder with the help of a connector,’ said Ritu Raj, a social activist in the area.
Such ill practice is quite common in every locality right under the nose of the food and civil supplies department which is aware of refilling points. However, concrete legal action in this matter is yet to be taken.
The LPG mafia have no safety equipment to transfer the gas from one cylinder to another. They just use a connector for the purpose. They generally sell cylinders to hotels and restaurants which are supposed to be their fixed clients.
Old gas canisters are being refilled without the right equipment and sold on with a monthly turnover of trade said to be worth more than Rs 15 crore
The consequences can be dangerous and life-threatening.
On October 11, two children died after a fire broke out near their house in Northeast Delhi’s Karwal Nagar.
The fire broke out after a gas cylinder exploded in the neighbouring house belonging to one Santosh Kumar, who was allegedly filling cylinders at his home with some LPG cylinders that he was supposed to stock for the gas agency he worked at.
Earlier this month two children died in a fire thought to have been started by a gas cylinder which had been refilled (picture for representation only)
Santosh used to transfer LPG from bigger cylinders into smaller cylinders and sell them in the locality.
According to a report, the monthly turnover of the trade is more than Rs 15 crore and it is taking place in collusion with owners of gas distribution agencies.
Bhagwan Singh, inspector, food and civil supplies department, said they are identifying unscrupulous operators and taking action on a timely basis.
The hubs of such illegal business are Arjun Nagar, Bhim Nagar, Baldev Nagar, Amar Colony, Pataudi Chowk, Sikanderpur and Nathupur.
Sources said many operators have illegal godowns in residential houses for the purpose.
One big reason for the mushrooming of this trade is the large number of migrant labourers living in Gurugram’s industrial areas, who generally use small cylinders.