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Charity Ruzvidzo Business Reporter
DEMAND for liquefied petroleum gas is on the increase countrywide as consumers seek an alternative to incessant power cuts, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) said as it warned of risks associated with its usage.
Steady Kangata, the agency’s spokesperson, called for increased consumer diligence when using liquefied petroleum gas.
“Due to the intensified power cuts by Zesa, the number of people opting for petroleum gas has increased. The market for the gas is expanding therefore business for gas sales is generally good,” he said.

Kangata said while gas was an ideal alternative as it was cheap and readily available, more caution was required in its use.
He said the increase in demand for the commodity had led to the mushrooming of illegal gas refill points, which posed great risk to consumers.
“Liquefied petroleum gas has become a quick fix for the preparation of meals since it is sold at low cost and one can use it anytime unlike electricity,” said Kangata.

“High demand has led to the sale of liquefied petroleum gas at undesignated areas, which is very dangerous as most merchants are not following approved regulations.”

Kangata said the law only recognised registered service stations as legal gas dealers who are trained in disaster prevention such as fire.
“On the other hand unlicensed dealers are operating under tents and are not taking precautionary measures,” he said.

Kangata also said careless handling of liquefied petroleum gas had health side effects and could harm the environment.
“Petroleum gas is a good source of power, however if not carefully handled it can lead to loss of lives.

“The gas is highly flammable with the risk of explosion. Explosion of the gas affects the environment. It can also cause dizziness, hallucinations, nausea and chills if inhaled,” he warned.

Kangata urged all petroleum dealers to register with the authority to ensure safety measures were followed.
“Everyone who wants to sell petroleum gas should register with EMA. This enables us to do targeted inspections and offer training and advice on how best to handle the gas,” he said.

The environmental watchdog has also engaged local authorities demanding waste disposal licences amid concerns over pollution due to raw effluent discharge across the country.