Dear Editor
The Editorial ‘Gas cylinders lacuna’ (SN Feb 4) was quite revealing. The recent cases of fires and explosions erupting allegedly around gas cylinders is a matter of grave concern. Here, two agencies, inquired by a letter writer as to codified standards and enforcement by the respective agencies was met with less than satisfactory responses.
The first agency approached has no standards and passed the buck to the second agency. The second agency developed a standard for storage, handling and transportation of portable LPG containers but does not monitor the implementation of the requirements of the developed standard or the “responsibility to enforce’ the standard. What sheer absurdity! What pure balderdash!
It is indeed perplexing these two agencies, one with no standards and the other no enforcement responsibility of its own standards developed (no enforcement has strands of similarity to UN and ICC rulings), are now part of efforts to review the recent spate of ‘suspected cooking gas cylinder-related explosions’.
The pertinent query raised by the letter writer as to the state’s responsibility and liability are relevant and must be taken into account in any investigation. State agencies have a responsibility for public safety and welfare. It can be discerned these agencies failed the public miserably with dire consequences.
Sincerely,
Shamshun.Mohamed
