Oxygen supply: Tata, Reliance, JSW, IOC, BPCL, join hands with the government

As the country is struggling to contain the second wave of COVID-19, it is also facing shortage of oxygen.

Over the past few days, there has been a surge in demand that has resulted in a severe shortage of oxygen supplies in hospitals. A few days ago, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal drew the attention of the nation with a tweet that highlighted Delhi was left with only a few hours of oxygen supply.

To tide over the crisis some of the biggest names in the manufacturing sector — the Tatas, Reliance, Indian Oil Corporation, JSW, IFFCO — have rushed to join hands with the government to help boost supply of oxygen.

Cryogenic containers

The Tata Group will import 24 cryogenic containers from overseas. On April 20, the group announced that it would import 24 cryogenic containers to address the shortage of oxygen in the country. These containers will facilitate the transport of liquid oxygen.

Oxygen from RIL’s Jamnagar refinery

Reliance Industries has announced that it would supply oxygen to the COVID hospitals from its refineries in view of the outbreak of the second wave. Reliance has also made some modifications in its Jamnagar refineries that will now produce more than 700 tons of medical grade oxygen every day. This oxygen will be sent to the states who are worst affected by COVID-19.

Another big corporate JSW Steel has agreed to supply 400 tons of liquefied oxygen to the hospitals of the state of Karnataka on a daily basis.

Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has also helped set up centralised oxygen distribution facilities at five government hospitals in Kerala. The government hospitals in Ernakulum district were chosen for the project.

The project was implemented through the National Health Mission. An amount of Rs 50 lakh was earmarked and allocated by CSL for this project, said a spokesperson of the company.

Indian Oil to supply oxygen to hospitals in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab

IOC has begun supply of 150 tonnes of oxygen free of charge to various hospitals in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. The first batch of the lifesaver medical grade oxygen was dispatched on April 19.

“Our expertise and assets, including refineries, pipelines, petrochemical units, bottling plants, terminals and aviation fuel stations, will continue to serve the people despite the stiff challenges,” said SM Vaidya, Chairman, IOC.

Bharat Petroleum has also stepped forward by diverting oxygen produced at their refineries to augment the availability of medical oxygen in states worst hit by COVID-19. BPCL said it has started supply of 100 tonnes of oxygen at no cost.

To overcome shortage, cooperative fertiliser major IFFCO would be setting up four medical oxygen plants with an investment of about Rs 30 crore within the next 15 days in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Odisha. They, too, would supply it for free to the COVID hospitals in those respective states.

IFFCO would put up the plants in Kalol in Gujarat, Aonla and Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh and at Paradip in Odisha.

The second wave of COVID-19 has engulfed large parts of the country. The country is now at number two globally in terms of infection, just after the US.

Till April 20, the total number of COVID-19 cases in India was 1.56 crore and active cases stood at 21.57 lakh.

Only just above 1% of the population of the country has received the full course of vaccination. Though it cannot completely eliminate the chances of getting infected, the vaccine certainly reduces the severity of the infection to a great extent, should one contract the virus at all even after the jabs.