DUSHANBE, June 16, Asia-Plus -- Natural gas supplies to industrial enterprises in Dushanbe have been cut off following the accident on the 292 ^nd kilometer of the Qyzyltumshuq-Dushanbe gas pipeline.  

As it had been reported earlier, the accident took place at the gas-distributing facility of the gas pipeline in the Tajik district of Rudaki, some 20 kilometers of Dushanbe.  An explosion took place at the gas-distributing facility on the night of June 15-16, at about 1:10 a.m. as a result of gas escape.  Specialists from “Tojikgaz” (Tajik state gas concern) are currently working on the site to repair the facility.  remove the accident effects.      

“The blast effects will be removed in near future and supplies of natural gas to the industrial enterprises in Dushanbe will resume,” the source in the Tajik state gas concern said.  

In the meantime, residents of Dushanbe have not had natural gas so far.  Supplies of natural gas to the public were cut off in early May already because of a large debt of Tajik state gas concern to Uztransgaz for earlier shipments.  This debt has amounted to US$3.5 million so far, according to the source.  Tajikistan plans to increase its imports of Uzbek gas up to 70 million cubic meters this year, despite the increase in prices from last year’s rate of US$42 to US$55 per 1,000 cubic meters.  Under a limited gas rationing instituted by the government Uzbek is currently supplied only to the larger of the country’s industrial enterprises.