Kathmandu. In the past, LP gas was used only for cooking in urban areas, but now the practice of using gas in village houses has also increased.
Therefore, the consumption of cooking gas in Nepal is increasing every year. However, experts suggest that it is equally important to always be careful and alert in the use of gas. The gas cylinders that are always used in the kitchen for cooking at any time may burst, the gas cylinder may leak and fire may occur, and accidents may also occur due to leakage from the pipes and regulators connected to the gas stove.
Last Wednesday evening, when a gas leak broke out in the house of Chandra Bhandari, Member of Parliament of Gulmi Region No-1, in Buddhanagar, Kathmandu, MP Bhandari and his mother Harikala Bhandari were seriously injured. Bhandari’s mother died during treatment at Kirtipur Hospital. MP Bhandari was taken to the National Burn Center Hospital in Bombay, India for further treatment after the doctors suggested taking him outside for treatment.
On Thursday, 2 people were injured when a cylinder fell due to a gas leak in Tulsipur of Dang. Even before this, there have been incidents of gas cylinders bursting in the past. According to a data of the Nepal Police, nine people have died and 42 people have been injured due to LP gas cylinder explosions in the last three financial years. This has shown that the use of gas, the quality of gas cylinders and the need to be careful and checked. According to experts, these are the things that should be taken care of while using gas.
Attention to cylinder use
Since gas is a liquid, it is filled in a cylinder. Therefore, it is important to know about the use of gas-filled cylinders. To give information about the cylinder, some symbolic letters and symbols are given on its neck. From that, it can be found whether the cylinder has expired or not. For example, along with the alphabet A, B, C and D, numbers 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 are mentioned in the valley of the cylinder. In it, the letters mean the month and the numbers mean the year. Gas companies cover 12 months and divide them into 4 parts. English months are counted when participating in this way. A means January, February and March. Similarly, B means April, May and June, C means July, August and September and D means October, November and December. The same number indicates the leap year. 16 means the year 2016, 22 means the year 2022. If A-22 is written on the cylinder, it should be understood that the cylinder expires after March 2022. Other letters and numbers should be understood in the same way. If the method is not correct during gas transportation or transportation in the vehicle, the written rice may be erased, crushed and not understood. At that time, when buying, you should understand well in the shop or return the cylinder. Consumers need to be cautious about this. Because there is a risk of accidents with old expired cylinders.
How to prevent leakage?
After confirming that the gas cylinder is suitable for use, attention should be paid to the regulator used in it and the pipe connected to the gas stove. Even when using regulator and pipe, attention should be paid to the quality level. If there is a small type of pipe, sometimes rats can also cut it and if the regulator is not closed, gas can leak from the place cut by rats. Therefore, when buying a pipe, you should buy a good quality pipe with wire. Similarly, quality should be used while buying the regulator. According to experts, there is a fear of gas leakage from the valve of the regulator. Always remember to turn off the regulator after cooking. The condition of the regulator and pipes should be changed.
What to do if there is a gas leak?
While taking precautions, sometimes gas leaks can happen due to some reasons. A gas leak can be detected by smell. As soon as you find out that there is a gas leak, do not use electric lamps, torches, lighters or any other things that can cause fire because the kitchen or the room where the gas is kept is dark. If the regulator is open, close it. If the gas has leaked from the mouth of the cylinder i.e. the place where the regulator is connected, then the safety cap placed on the cylinder should close the mouth and the cylinder should be taken to an open place. Similarly, if the window of a kitchen or room with a gas cylinder is closed, open it immediately. Because of this, the gas inside the room should go out.
Many accidents happen due to lack of caution and public awareness about gas usage. When the gas leaks and fills the room, the air may have entered the switch of the electric light. Therefore, the light switch should not be turned on or off. When you switch on and off an electric lamp, a spark is generated in it and it can cause a fire. The gas ignites immediately with the spark of fire. Therefore, if you know that there is a gas leak, do not touch the electric switch and do not turn on or turn off the light. Not only when it is turned on, but also when it is turned off, sparks come out from the electric lamp. If you suspect that there is a gas leak, when you go to the kitchen or the room, if the lamp is already lit, let it burn and even if it is off, do not light it and do not touch the electric switch.