Sindh govt orders relocation of LPG filling shops away from crowded residential areas

The Sindh government’s Home Department has directed all the deputy commissioners posted in the province to ensure that LNG and LPG cylinder filling shops are relocated away from the crowded residential areas in the cities and towns.
The provincial Home Department has issued these directives to secure the lives of the residents of the areas where LPG cylinder filling service has been continuing in a hazardous manner in total disregard for the safety guidelines of the government for the purpose. The circular was issued to the deputy commissioners for immediate compliance after a deadly blast at a liquefied petroleum gas cylinder filling shop in the Preetabad area of Hyderabad on May 30 resulting in the deaths of several people and burn injuries to many other area residents, including children. Many of the critically injured persons were shifted to Karachi for treatment at the Burns Centre of Civil Hospital.
The directive issued by the Home Department asked the deputy commissioners to launch a crackdown against illegal LNG and LPG decanting businesses in their respective jurisdictions. The Home Department ordered action against the illegal decanting services to ensure compliance with the safety guidelines given in the Civil Defence (Special Powers) Act-1951 and OGRA Ordinance-2022. Any person violating the provisions of the Civil Defence (Special Powers) Act-1951 could be imprisoned for a period lasting up to six months, fined, or undergo both penalties.
The Home Department asked all the DCs to ensure that illegal LNG and LPG filling shops were relocated outside the populated areas of cities. Such shops should be duly inspected by the relevant officials to confiscate substandard cylinders. All the LPG and LNG shops should adhere to the safety guidelines and precautions imposed by the federal government on the decanting service.
The Home Department directed the DCs that the LNG and LPG shops should not exist in busy markets and residential areas. The DCs have been asked to visit the decanting shops every week. The weekly compliance reports in this regard should be shared with the Sindh Home Department.
The DCs have been asked to ensure that the LPG cylinders are not stored or sold in densely populated residential areas, near schools, hospitals, or other vulnerable locations. They will enforce safe cylinder storage practices, including appropriate distances from buildings, proper ventilation, and adherence to capacity limits.
The DCs have been asked to immediately issue notices to sellers found operating such decanting businesses without necessary permits or in violation of safety regulations.
The DCs have been asked to launch public awareness campaigns to educate the public on the hazards of buying gas cylinders from unauthorised sellers.
The control rooms will be established at the district level with landline and cellular phone numbers, enabling concerned citizens to lodge complaints of violation of the safety guidelines by the gas cylinder service.