With cyclonic storm Yaas brewing over the Bay of Bengal, the State government has intensified the sourcing of medical oxygen from Odisha in the last two days using the Oxygen Express trains to maintain buffer stocks in all the districts.
The decision was taken considering the possible disruption in the supply of oxygen owing to the cyclonic storm from the steel plants at Angul, Kalinganagar and Rourkela in Odisha, on which Andhra Pradesh largely depends on
In a statement on Sunday, M.T. Krishna Babu, who heads the ‘State Oxygen War Room’, said almost 100 MT of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) had been sourced from Rourkela in Odisha and 100 MT more was expected to reach Andhra Pradesh by Monday (May 24) through Oxygen Express.
In view of the forecast over the cyclonic storm, the Centre has also directed five States, including Andhra Pradesh, to effectively manage the people affected by coronavirus by ensuring adequate supply of food, medicine and the other necessary infrastructure.
The government has also launched measures to ensure regular supply of almost 200 MT of oxygen using tankers from Angul, Kalinganagar and Rourkela without interruption due to the cyclone. “We are coordinating with the local administration of Odisha for seamless supplies,” said Mr. Krishna Babu.
The International Committee of the Red Cross, through Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), is handing over 120 MT of LMO through six cryogenic tankers of 20 MT each to the State government at Visakhapatnam port, which would be placed as a reserve stock in Guntur and Tirupati as a buffer for emergency.
Uninterruptedpower supply
The government has also alerted the Energy Department to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the three important LMO sources in the State—Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) and Ellenbarrie Industries Limited in Visakhapatnam and Liquinox Gases Private Limited at Srikakulam, which account for supply of 210 MT of liquid medicaloxygen and are crucial for ensuring oxygen supply in the State.
Besides the primary sources, there are 49 refillers which convert the liquefied oxygen into gaseous form and distribute it through cylinders for last-mile use to various hospitals.
“All the Collectors have been instructed to ensure uninterrupted power supply to all hospitals by making power generators available,” said Mr. Krishna Babu.