HT Investigation: A day after Mahakumbh fire,rogue suppliers on prowl, pilgrims fall prey to illegal cylinder risks

A day after a fire in the Mahakumbh Nagar tent city, HT’s investigation has revealed that a significant chunk of pilgrims with limited means at Mahakumbh Nagar prefer the use of the comparatively cheaper and the illegal, small “non-ISI” mark 5kg cylinders, risking their lives as well as those in the vicinity, even as people in the illegal cylinder business roam around the Mela area eyeing customers and striking deals despite a ban.

The pilgrims take the risk of buying and using the illegal cylinders because of the “arduous procedure” for availing of a temporary, albeit legal, gas connection in the Mahakumbh Nagar, along with the hefty security deposit, though refundable.

The thriving network of suppliers of these illegal “non-ISI” cylinders has mushroomed for the Mela period in Daraganj, Buxi Bandh, Alopibagh, Naini and Jhunsi localities on the periphery of the Mahakumbh.

(The ISI mark is a standards-compliance mark for industrial products in India. The mark certifies that a product conforms to an Indian standard (IS) developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)).

Some pilgrims buy the illegal version after getting to know about it from fellow devotees who have been using the cylinders. They get it refilled by visiting the supplier present at the periphery of the Mela. Sellers of the illegal cylinders also visit Mela camps and offer on the spot delivery, largely in Kalpvasi camps besides to pilgrims staying near the Phaphamau area in Sectors 11, 12, 13 and 14. These sectors are situated far from the localities where the suppliers operate, making it tough for pilgrims to go there.

Over two dozen suppliers of the illegal “non-ISI mark” 5kg gas cylinders are carrying on their business in localities on the periphery of the Mela.

“We charge between ₹80 to ₹100 for a kilogram of LPG refill. The cost of a new cylinder is ₹500,” said an illegal cylinder seller at Daraganj.

Ratnesh, a pilgrim from Badaun in west Uttar Pradesh, was seen carrying an illegal “non-ISI” mark 5kg cylinder near pontoon bridge number 10 of the Mela area. He said he came to the fair with his parents and younger sister. The cost of getting a domestic 14.2 kg gas cylinder allotted from the government counter was nearly ₹4400, he said.

“We sell vegetables in Badaun and cannot afford ₹4400 for just getting a cylinder allotted. So the ‘non-marka’ (as they term the “non-ISI” cylinder in local parlance) costs just ₹500 with ₹85 per kilogram of LPG refill. This is nearly 10 times cheaper, besides the cylinder is also ours, which we will take back home,” he said.

Gauri Kashyap, a homemaker and resident of Chapra, Bihar, practising kalpvas in Sector 23 of the Mela, also claimed the same dynamics, which makes the risky “non-ISI” illegal gas cylinder, a hot favourite with a major chunk of pilgrims staying in different sectors of the Mela.

Chief fire officer, Mahakumbh, Pramod Sharma said special teams have been formed to detect and check sale of the risky “non-ISI mark” cylinders near the Mela area as this could spell serious trouble in view of the fire outbreak which took place in the Gita Press camp on Sunday.

“We have started a search operation to check the sale of such gas cylinders. On detection, they would be seized,” he said.

If anyone is caught supplying the illegal cylinders in the Mela area, an FIR would be lodged against them, the chief fire officer said.

District supply officer (DSO), Prayagraj, Sunil Singh said 5000 cylinders was the average daily refilling demand in the Mela area -- nearly 3000 domestic cylinders and 2000 commercial ones.

“There are three categories of cylinders provided by the administration to pilgrims against a fixed security fee. For a 5kg LPG cylinder, the security deposit is ₹1018, and the LPG cost is ₹578 which brings the total initial investment to ₹1576,” he said.

The security deposit for a domestic 14.2-kg cylinder is ₹3496 while the LPG cost is ₹856, bringing the initial investment to ₹4352. Further, for 19-kg commercial cylinders, currently used in nearly 100 Bhandaras and Ann Kshetras where large-scale cooking is done, the security deposit is ₹4800, and cost of the LPG cylinder is ₹1970 bringing the initial investment of one cylinder to ₹6770.

The DSO said there are three suppliers – IOC (Indian Oil Corporation), Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum -- in the Mela.

“One private gas agency each has been deputed in each of the 25 sectors of the Mela. Cylinders (sourced) from other than these three suppliers are illegal and would be seized on detection, besides initiation of legal action,” he said.

The fire incident on Sunday at a camp in the Mahakumbh fair was suspected to have been caused by a gas leak in a small cylinder. The fire was successfully brought under control without causing any casualty or major injuries to anyone.