Expert committee reveals change in composition led to LPG incidents

• Committee Chair Prof. Shantha Walpolage says critical to regulate LPG industry
• Consumer Rights Activist claims Govt. hiked fuel prices to deviate attention of public from LPG scam

By Charumini de Silva

 The President-appointed Expert Committee yesterday revealed that the change in the composition of the Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) was the key reason which triggered a spate of gas-related fires and explosions countrywide.

“The tests on the samples of LPG, on-site inspections, obtaining views of the parties involved; we found that the change in composition led to all of these incidents which escalated from mid-November onwards,” Expert Committee Chairman Prof. Shantha Walpolage said at a media briefing organised by the Information Department yesterday.

In this context, Prof. Walpolage said it was critical to regulate the industry, from the process of importing gas to Sri Lanka, filling of gas, quality of gas cylinders, equipment need for the use of LPG.

Specific recommendations have also been made by the committee to Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI), Industrial Technology Institute of Sri Lanka (ITI), Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA), Litro Gas Ltd., and several other organisations to implement this relation.

In addition, the Expert Committee have advised several other decisions to prevent such incidents in the future and to alleviate inconveniences caused to the general public due to the change in composition. These include; providing safe LPG, reducing the composition of propane less than 30% and increase the odour of ethyl mercaptan to detect any gas leaks. 

Following these recommendations, the committee believes people have the ability to use LPG without any fear.

The other members of the committee were Prof. W.D.W. Jayatilleke from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Inventors’ Commission of Sri Lanka Commissioner Prof. Narayan Sirimuthu, ITI Additional Director General Dr. Sudarshana Somasiri, SLSI Deputy Director Sujeewa Mahagamage and University of Moratuwa Prof. Saliya Jayasekara who also participated in the discussion yesterday.

However, State-run Litro Gas Chairman Theshara Jayasinghe on Monday denied allegations of various factions that the cause of LPG-linked fires and explosions were due to the change in composition.

He made these remarks at a briefing organised by the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) on Monday.

When asked if the company will pay a compensation to the victims of those incidents, Jayasinghe also said the company was not in a financial position to do so. 

Separately, Consumer Rights Activist Asela Sampath claimed the Government hiked the fuel prices to deviate the attention of the general public from the LPG scam.

The eight-member expert committee prepared the final report which was handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday after investigations carried out in 11 institutions, including the on-site inspections and inquiries conducted on country’s two LPG companies – Litro Gas Ltd., and LAUGFS Gas PLC, as well as inspection of 17 places where fires and explosions occurred and considering the views received by e-mails.

The other expert committee members include Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon, University of Moratuwa Prof. Ajith De Alwis, University of Sri Jayewardenepura Prof. Pradeep Jayaweera.

As per the report, from 1 January to 19 December, a total of 847 LPG-related fires and explosions were recorded. This includes 797 in relation to Litro Gas, and 50 linked to LAUGFS Gas.

Majority of these incidents were linked to glass top gas cookers and stove explosions, which accounts to 477, while 299 incidents were due to gas leakages, 52 in relation to the hose attached, 15 with regulator used, three due to extensive pressure and only one related to the cylinder which caught fire.