In a major relief to India’s fight against COVID-19, the Central Government has announced that the Fertilizer Plants will now provide 50 metric tonnes of Liquid Medical Oxygen on a daily basis in the coming days. This move will ramp up the medical grade oxygen supply to hospitals in the country.
The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has directed that Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited is coming up with an oxygen plant having a capacity of 200 cubic meters per hour in its KALOL unit in Gujarat. The plant’s total capacity would be 33 thousand cubic meters per day.
Subsequently, Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers and Chemicals has started supplying the liquid oxygen for medical purpose after starting the air separation unit.
The Ministry has also instructed other fertilizer companies to set up medical oxygen plants in hospitals/plants at selected locations in the country through CSR funding.
In a meeting chaired by the Minister of State for Chemical and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya, these decisions were taken to explore the possibilities of production of oxygen in the plants operated by fertilizer companies. MoS Mandaviya exhorted the fertilizer companies to increase their oxygen production capacities and multiply the supply of medical grade oxygen to the hospitals.