Police crackdown on illegal filling of gas cylinders in city

New Delhi: Illegal filling of gas cylinders has become a major concern in the national Capital, which has from time to time claimed several lives and injured several others living nearby.

The blaze inside a firecracker factory in Bawana, which killed 17 people, has once again brought to the limelight this often overlooked illegal activity, which puts several lives at risk.

Police sources said that many people often buy LPG cylinders and then illegally start filling smaller cylinders with the gas to sell them and earning a quick buck.

Talking to Millennium Post, Chief Fire Officer of Delhi Fire Service (DFS), Atul Garg said that the filling, which is done from a larger high-pressure cylinder to smaller cylinders, is dangerous and chances are that it might blast.

''The small cylinder is not approved and can blast anytime," said the fire chief, adding that during the filling there are chances of leakage, which can easily result in a blaze.

Garg said that the tubes used for filling cylinders are often of poor quality and the small cylinders are non-standardised and illegal. All these factors make this activity a fire hazard.

In different districts of the city, there are several shops which fill small cylinders.

A case of illegal filling of gas cylinders inside residential areas in October 2017 resulted in the death of two minors in Karawal Nagar, who died after a cylinder being illegally filled exploded.

Police sources claimed that they have also found that persons involved in this illegal activity are often connected with gas agencies.

Many arrests have been made in such cases as well. DCP (Shahdara) Nupur Prasad stated that they recently arrested one Sarawan and Manoj for transferring LPG gas into smaller cylinders, with the help of a locally-manufactured gas transferring pipe.

Accused Manoj was employed with a gas agency in GT road area.

Meanwhile, North East Delhi Police is conducting meetings with owners of gas agencies under its jurisdiction, briefing them about illegal activities and telling them to keep a tab on their staff.