Tamil Nadu MP suggests reopening inoperative oxygen plants at BHEL Tiruchy to tackle shortage

TIRUCHY: Amidst the furore over shortage of oxygen across the country, Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva on Monday urged the central government to utilise the three inoperative oxygen plants available inside the BHEL Tiruchy unit.

In a letter written by the DMK leader to Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Prakash Javadekar, he said the three oxygen plants have the capacity to produce 140 MT/hr each. As the plants had been shut down since 2003, he suggested that they can produce oxygen within 15-20 days if maintenance procedures are carried out by experienced technicians who had worked earlier in these units.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Tiruchi Siva said, "Based on the suggestions by current and former technicians, I have sent a request to the Union Minister to produce oxygen from these closed plants. This is an attempt to utilise resources which are already available. The Sterlite plant is being looked at as an option to produce oxygen despite public opposition. Then why not BHEL Tiruchy? There is no public opposition and the resources can be utilised."

The Rajya Sabha MP in the letter also suggested various maintenance works which technicians had proposed to put the inoperative plants back into production. "It is suggested by technicians that the plants can be brought back into operation if the following maintenance procedures are done -- compressor overhauling, air separation unit copper vessels treatment process, freons unit service, cooling water pump service, storage vessel provisions and maintenance of all valves," Siva said in the letter.

Reportedly, a team of six officials from BHEL Tiruchy also conducted an inspection of these plants on Monday to see if there are possibilities to tap the resources. However, former employees of BHEL said putting them back into production could be a herculean task as their components are outdated.

A former senior functionary of BHEL said, "The plants have remained unutilised for a long time and they have components which are outdated. Currently BHEL procures oxygen from outside for its industrial needs. It will be difficult to put them back into operation but they can be looked at as an option."