Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : Steel companies from across the country, from both the public and private sectors, have stepped up efforts to meet the nation’s requirement of medical oxygen. on May 4, 2021, the total Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) production by the Steel plants was 3,680.30 MT, and total LMO Supply was 4,076.65 MT. In comparison, the LMO supply was 3,131.84 Metric Tonnes to various states on April 25, 2021. In mid-April, on an average 1,500-1,700 Metric tonnes /day was being dispatched.
Minister of Steel and Petroleum &Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan last week had held a series of meetings with captains of steel companies of both public and private sectors. He had called for doing everything possible to enhance supply of medical oxygen from steel plants and also for building jumbo-sized COVID-care facilities with oxygenated-beds to augment the healthcare infra, according to a PIB release.
Steel Authority of India, one of the largest domestic steel producers, has been enhancing its capabilities to supply Liquid Medical Oxygen in the country. The daily delivery of LMO from its integrated steel plants situated at Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Rourkela (Odisha), Bokaro (Jharkhand), Durgapur and Burnpur (West Bengal), has been increased from a level of about 500 Metric Tonnes (MT) in the 2nd week of April to more than 1,100 MT per day currently. The company has so far supplied over 50,000 MT of LMO. In the month of April, 2021, SAIL delivered more than 17,500 MT LMO to 15 states across the country including the states in which the plants are located.
14 “Oxygen Express” trains carrying more than 950 MT LMO were loaded by till May 4, 2021, for various parts of the county from SAIL plants at Bokaro, Rourkela and Durgapur. SAIL plants have also received tankers, which have been airlifted, and after loading have moved to their destinations by road and rail. The railways, air force, steel plants, and oxygen plants are coordinating the efforts of transporting the tankers. Four cryogenic tankers were airlifted by Indian Air Force from Perth, Australia, on May 5, 2021.