The breakdown of the oxygen production plant in Ballari, was “inevitable and bound to happen”, according to insiders in the oxygen industry. Other oxygen producers fear their plants may also breakdown
A section of industries in Karnataka is paralysed without oxygen
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AAA The State government may have allowed industries to function during the two-week lockdown, but a significant section between 30% and 40% is paralysed without oxygen. In light of the medical emergency and shortage of oxygen, the Union government has banned its industrial use across the country.
Subasish Guha Roy’s Universal Air Products Pvt. Ltd. office at Peenya II Stage, a key supplier of oxygen to hospitals across the State, was recently mobbed by industrialists trying to get some oxygen supply.
“We understand that human life is more important, but we are asked to open shops but can’t work. How do we pay salaries?” asked Jagannath, who runs a cutting and fabrication unit in Peenya. There are over 300 such cutting and fabrication units in Peenya Industrial Area, which cannot function without oxygen and hence have closed down for the past many days.
BENGALURU: Indicating the acuteness of the shortage, private hospitals in the city say irregular suppliers of medical oxygen they are forced to procure from are charging at least three times the price fixed by the government, while industry representatives reiterated that the organised sector is selling by the book.
However, both agree that demand has gone up by at least 300% with a surge in ICU and HDU admissions as the second wave sweeps across Bengaluru. Multiple industry representatives, while allaying fears of a prolonged supply problem, said the demand could be met by the end of this week.
Dr HM Prasanna, president of, Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA), said: “Medical oxygen price per cubic meter is regulated, which is inclusive of transportation cost.
NEW DELHI: Responding to what it has termed “an extremely urgent requirement” to augment supply of liquid medical oxygen (LMO), the Centre has directed states that there be no power cuts at the plants manufacturing oxygen and that district/local administrations be told that there be zero interference so as to ensure smooth functioning of the plants.
Also, to ensure uninterrupted movement of LMO the Centre wants to convert “most” tankers presently carrying nitrogen and argon into oxygen-carrying tankers. As per the centre there are 1,199 434 argon and 765 nitrogen tankers in the country and 516 LMO tankers spread across 11 major states.
The 516 LMO tankers have a capacity to transport around 7,300MT, which is insufficient to tackle the problem at hand. Thus, urging for conversion of other tankers, a letter from union cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba has identified 516 (214 argon and 353 nitrogen) non-oxygen carriers that can transport 7,500 metric tonne (MT) to augment th