Nagpur: Maharashtra’s Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) minister Rajendra Shingne said on Friday that oxygen demand and supply is being coordinated and monitored from a central control room created in Mumbai. This is to tackle the growing short supply as Covid cases peak across the state, including Nagpur.
The FDA minister is also contemplating permission to fit siren and emergency lights on jumbo oxygen tankers in every district for free and fast movement, since transportation too has become a tricky challenge. Shingne has also asked the commercial manufacturers of oxygen to ensure 80% of their output is sent for clinical purpose only as of now.
With an anticipated rise in Covid cases later this month, Shingne has urged collectors across the state to either stock up on oxygen even while meeting the daily needs, or make alternative arrangements to ensure uninterrupted supply in the time of crisis. The FDA minister has also asked his department staffers to sacrifice leaves to fight the present crisis and also join hands with the district administrations to coordinate supply of oxygen and drugs like Remdesivir.
District collector Ravindra Thakare said a new air filling plant is coming up at Butibori which would produce additional 550 jumbo oxygen cylinders. “We have got 60 metric tonnes of liquid oxygen from Bhilai on Thursday but have requested the collector of Durg to ensure daily supply of at least 80 metric tonnes,” he said.
“We are running short of tankers and looking to take some on rent and also convert some other gas carriers,” he said.
Shingne said the requirement, demands and supply of oxygen of each district across the state is being monitored, coordinated and regulated from the central control room at the FDA headquarters at Bandra in Mumbai. “The resident district collectors (RDC), on behalf of collectors, are being assigned the responsibility to alert and convey to the central control rooms oxygen demand, supply and stocks in their districts. The control rooms would try to arrange for the required oxygen supply to meet the requirement,” he said.
Two health department officials have also joined the central control room to collaborate with FDA. “We are increasing the air-filling plants at many places and also trying to increase the fleet of tankers by converting carriers of other chemical (cryogenic) gases for oxygen. Some jumbo vehicles are also being procured for all divisions, including Nagpur, which also supplies it’s neighbouring divisions,” said Shingne.
“Two cylinder manufacturing companies have been requested to give us priority in delivery,” said the FDA minister.
The FDA minister also said Nagpur-based Inox limited, a manufacturer of liquid oxygen, has been requested to expedite it’s maintenance work and return to production at the earliest. “We will arrange for additional oxygen supply from Bhilai,” he said.