A leak in an underwater gas pipeline in Kendurbag, Begumganj upazila of Noakhali, has halted gas supplies across Lakshmipur district and to Begumganj’s industrial area and two CNG stations in Noakhali. The leak was detected on Friday afternoon beneath a bridge beside the Lakshmipur-Noakhali highway. Gas flow through the line was stopped from Saturday night as a safety measure.

About 7,000 residential customers, 150 commercial customers and four CNG stations in Lakshmipur and Begumganj have been affected. Household consumers in Lakshmipur have faced disruption to cooking, while the closure of gas-dependent CNG stations has caused difficulties for transport drivers and passengers. Affected customers have called for repair work to be completed quickly and gas service restored.

Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company Limited began repair work on the morning of August 9. Noakhali office Deputy General Manager engineer Shah Alam said the pipeline lies 10 feet underwater, making the work complicated. The company is installing a bypass line with new pipe instead of repairing the damaged section. He said service could resume by 11 pm if work proceeds smoothly, though complications could extend the work through the night.