Sources in Ranipet District Tiny and Smallscale Industries Association said that if the situation continues like this even BHEL’s BAP (boiler & auxileries project) would be affected. The units which were slowly recovering from the impact of last year’s lockdown have again been forced to scale back their work in the absence of supply of industrial oxygen needed for welding and cutting jobs.

Ranipet District Tiny and Smallscale Industries Association president M Amirthakatesan told DT Next, “We do not know whom to approach as we have been running short of oxygen for the last two days.”

Association secretary L Gandhijothi said, “with workers sitting idle, no unit is in a position to pay wages to them. The units are yet to recover from the monetary blow dealt by pandemic-induced lockdown last year.”

Enquiries revealed that the 200 units, which have a total workforce of around 2,000, got oxygen from two major units within the industrial estate.

“Instead of ramping up oxygen production, diverting industrial oxygen for medical needs will only affect the industry and thereby the economy,” Gandhijothi cautioned.