India under 'Neighbourhood First' policy delivers medical oxygen to Bangladesh
Premium- This is the first time ever that the Oxygen Express is put into operation to neighbouring country
NEW DELHI : Keeping with India's Neighbourhood First policy, Indian Railways on Saturday delivered medical oxygen to Bangladesh amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
External Affairs Minister (MEA) S Jaishankar informed about the delivery via Twitter. "Neighbourhood First delivers again. Oxygen Express from India arrives in Bangladesh," EAM Jaishankar tweeted.
Indian Railways delivered 200 metric tonnes of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) to Bangladesh in 10 containers via the Oxygen Express for the first time ever.
"Indian Railways' Oxygen Express is set to embark on its journey to Bangladesh. This is the first time ever that the Oxygen Express is put into operation to neighbouring country. Today, an indent was placed at Tata in Chakradharpur Division under South Eastern Railway to transport 200 MT of Liquid Medical Oxygen to Benapole, Bangladesh," the Ministry of Railways said in an official statement.
The train with 10 containers departed from Tatanagar in Jharkhand on Saturday and is expected to reach Benapol in Bangladesh tomorrow.
"First liquid oxygen tanker on rails 200 metric tonnes to Bangladesh loaded from Tatanagar, should reach tomorrow morning," the Railways said.
During the peak of the second wave of the coronavirus crisis in India when states were grappling with shortage of oxygen, the Railways began operating the Oxygen Express trains.
The railways rain around 480 such trains and carried 36,841 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen across the country since it stated operations on April 24, 2021.
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