While natural gas prices and the natural gas shortage in the world are among the main issues on the world’s agenda, there are some simple methods that everyone prefers to use natural gas less or to reduce prices. However, a method applied in Pakistan left their mouths open. Because it turned out that the natural gas found in the fields in the country was carried to the houses in bags by pure coincidence. Moreover, only 25 cents plastic bags are used during this transportation. In this very dangerous process, the bags filled with natural gas resemble a flying balloon. Here are the details of that method in Pakistan, which stunned everyone…
NATURAL GAS FOUND IN FIELDS BY ACCIDENTAL
In the town of Banda Daoud Shah in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, natural gas was found in the fields by chance, not while being explored with conventional methods through massive infrastructure and drilling works.
THEY HAVE DEVELOPED A VERY INTERESTING METHOD
In the region where poverty is widespread, the people use the gas coming out of their towns at the expense of their lives. Due to the impossibilities, the local people developed their own units of extraction, transportation and measurement of natural gas.
THEY CARRY NATURAL GAS WITH BAGS
In the region where there is no infrastructure, natural gas is distributed from the shed instead of the refinery, and is transported in bags instead of pipelines. The unit of measure is not cubic meters; plastic bag.
While the children running from the “shelter refinery” at the entrance of the town with their “flying balloons” (big bags) in their hands draw attention, although these huge cylinder bags seem like children’s entertainment at first glance, they are actually fuel for the people to cook their dinner…
AA correspondent met with the residents of the town by viewing this dangerous journey of natural gas.
IT LOOKS LIKE A FLYING BALLOON BUT IT IS VERY DANGEROUS
Locals are aware of the dangers of this fun-sounding method of transport that looks like a “flying balloon”. Because of this, many deaths and injuries have occurred in the region before.
THEY ARE DOING IT BECAUSE IT IS 80 PERCENT CHEAP
However, due to cost and poverty, people prefer “flying balloons”, which are 70-80 percent cheaper, instead of kitchen tubes, which cost 5-10 thousand Pakistani rupees (approximately 410-820 Turkish liras) depending on their size.
The residents of the town of Banda Daoud Shah do not pay for natural gas because it comes out on their own land.
THEY FILL NATURAL GAS IN THEIR BAGS
Those who do not have natural gas on their land meet their needs from a makeshift shack outside the town. Children waiting in the barracks fill the bags of the townspeople with natural gas.
DAILY NEEDS LIST: BREAD, CHICKEN, ONE BAG NATURAL GAS…
In addition to the nan (bread) and dalçana (chickpea) on the daily kitchen needs list, the household also asks the head of the household for a bag of gas.
FILLS IN 20 MINUTES, FILLS IN 2 HOURS
The natural gas, which is extracted through a hose buried in the ground, is filled into the bags through a small valve inserted into the mouth of the bags to prevent leakage. The other end of the bags is tied to a stone on the ground so that they do not take off like a flying balloon.
A bag fills up in 20-25 minutes on average. An electric pump of 2,000 rupees (about 165 Turkish lira) is sufficient to use “bag gas” in their homes. By means of this pump, it is possible to cook food from bag gas in home stoves. One bag of gas is equivalent to two hours of consumption.
CAN TURN INTO ‘FLYING BALLOONS’ AT ANY TIME
The “flying balloons” mostly carried by children can turn into “flying balloons” at the slightest carelessness.
THEY USE THE BAGS TENS OF TIMES
As if it were not enough for children to carry natural gas to their homes in bags, the small patches in some nylon bags draw attention. Because the bags are not disposable, it is understood that they have been used dozens of times when looking at the patches on them.
While warnings such as “Do not approach with fire, Caution explosive material, Turn off electronic devices” on kitchen tubes, natural gas filling facilities or tankers carrying them draw attention all over the world, the stages during the filling, transportation and consumption of “bag gas” in children’s hands are completely “organic”.
RISK OF POISONING VERY HIGH
If it leaks out of the bag, the risk of poisoning is very high, since there is no odorous sulfur-containing substance in the gas and it will be inhaled in its purest form. In filling and bagged transport, the explosion looks like a magneto or a spark. The process of transferring natural gas from bag balloons to the stove with a small electric pump is also prone to major accidents. Therefore, the two-hour cooking job is a matter of life and death for the Banda Dawud Shahites.
THEY WANT NATURAL GAS INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE PROVIDED
One of the residents of the town, Hazrat Canan, told AA correspondent that the people of the region are going through hard times; He said that because of the need, the people carry gas in plastic bags and they are aware of the danger of this.
Canan emphasized that he wanted the government to provide them with natural gas infrastructure.
Noting that the townspeople get gas in this way every day, Canan said, “We use this gas with a pump connected to the stove, but it is very dangerous. After all, these bags are right next to the fire while cooking.” said.
“There was an explosion in a house, 1 person died”
Pointing out that there have been many accidents, Canan said, “Even though we have natural gas, we cannot use it safely. There was an explosion in a house, a person died. A mother and her daughter suffered burns.” he said.
Suhana Katak also complains that this gas is not supplied to them in safe ways.
THEY SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO GAS ALSO
Explaining that women and children carry gas in plastic bags every day because men work, Katak said that he sometimes sends his children to get gas, but he is also afraid of possible accidents.
Katak emphasized that he wanted to use natural gas safely in his homes.
Navab Khan, on the other hand, stated that they can only make tea and roti (a kind of bread) with the gas in these plastic bags, which they can use for 1 or 1.5 hours. (AA)