While pulling all stops to move oxygen in a speedy method from Bokaro metal metropolis, Punjab authorities is confronted with a peculiar drawback as majority of its tankers — 14 out of 15 accessible — should not being allowed on the ‘Oxygen Express’ for not assembly the peak requirements. As a outcome, the Punjab-bound tankers are being compelled to take the street route which is taking them 3 days to succeed in the state as an alternative of 30 hours by practice.
With restricted sources, Punjab authorities isn’t with the ability to avail “90 metric tonnes of daily oxygen quota” from Bokaro allotted to the state by the Centre.
Out of the 15 oxygen tankers that the state has, just one has been discovered to make it to ‘Oxygen Express’, with its peak assembly the ceiling cap of three.5 metres, The Indian Express has learnt.
After the railways refused to hold the oxygen tankers airlifted from Punjab to Jharkhand on ‘Oxygen Express’ citing peak problem, the Punjab authorities went in for to “double check” the peak measurements from authorized meteorology division.
However, after the train, it was discovered that just one tanker was adequate to be permitted on ‘Oxygen Express’.
The peak parameters by the railways have been fastened factoring in peak of the tunnels, and the bridges on rail route.
From April 28, Punjab has airlifted two such tankers every day by the Indian Air Force to Jharkhand.
However, after being denied transportation by way of ‘Oxygen Express’ because of peak problem, the tankers filled with oxygen from Bokaro took the street route with police escort. Punjab authorities additionally requested for “green corridor” for clean street transportation.
The first batch of two oxygen tankers was airlifted to Jharkhand on April 28, and two tankers are being despatched through air path to Jharkhand every day since then.
According Punjab Industries Director Sibin C, it took about three days for the tankers to succeed in Punjab from Bokaro after completion of all formalities there. The transportation by way of ‘Oxygen Express’ would have enabled to succeed in the tankers stuffed with oxygen to the state in about 30 hours, Sibin added.
Punjab Principal Secretary Industries and Commerce Alok Shekhar instructed The Indian Express that the state authorities was in strategy of getting two further oxygen tankers following parleys with the Centre authorities, however these two tankers would even be “bigger in capacity”, exceeding the three.5 metre peak norms for ‘Oxygen Express’.
Shekhar stated that “the Centre has allocated 90 metric tonnes quota of oxygen for Punjab from Bokaro. We have been able to avail 30 to 40 metric tonnes of oxygen on an average daily”.
He stated that the tankers airlifted to Bokaro had been of personal gamers who had been earlier supplying oxygen throughout the state, together with to authorities services.
Shekhar stated, “We have only 15 oxygen tankers and there is three day backlog in a tanker reaching Punjab from Bokaro through road route after landing in Ranchi from Punjab, making about a four hour journey to Bokaro, filling, completing the paperwork and starting journey back to Punjab.”
He stated that the tankers bringing oxygen from Bokaro had been being operated by non-public gamers and the state authorities was coordinating when it comes to requirement of the fuel specifically areas.
As per a “status note on the activities of the Industries and Commerce Department” throughout Covid resurgence, Punjab authorities arrange a management room deputing particular officers entrusted with varied verticals together with getting quota launched from outdoors provide and coordination with supply plan, rising the manufacturing of atmospheric separation models (ASUs) throughout the state, allocation of the provision to the required districts as per instructions from well being division and monitoring the motion of the automobiles and coordination with the fuel companies.
As per the word, the Industries and Investment departments in dialogue with previous ASUs within the state, after having dialogues with them, had been to date profitable in beginning the manufacturing of no less than six models, thereby enhancing the manufacturing of medical oxygen by 14 metric tonnes.
Out of the 14 models, the division contacted, whereas six have already began manufacturing, similar variety of models are prone to begin re-energising their oxygen vegetation between per week to 6 months. Two models, one in Amritsar and one other in Bathinda, haven’t been discovered possible to supply oxygen. The Punjab Industry Department can also be participating with industries at district degree to supply empty cylinders mendacity with them handy over to the respective district for efficient use to fill and use for medical functions. Out of complete 7,138 such cylinders accessible throughout the 22 districts of the state, 4,090 have already been offered to respective administrations by Saturday morning and one other 604 had been able to be delivered, as per the official statistics.