Cannot afford giving oxygen to other states anymore: Pinarayi Vijayan to PM
- Tuesday | 11th May, 2021
Cannot afford giving oxygen to other states anymore: Pinarayi Vijayan to PM
- | Tuesday | 11th May, 2021
Kerala, he wrote, currently has 4,02,640 active cases, and the number is projected to rise to 6,00,000 by May 15. In view of the rapidly growing numbers, the state will need 450 metric tonnes of oxygen by May 15.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his state cannot spare any further oxygen as they have already supplied their buffer stock to neighboring states and are now left with just 86 metric tonne of the buffer.
The state, he wrote, will allow 40 metric tonnes of oxygen to Tamil Nadu till May 10, going by the May 6 decision of the Central Committee of Oxygen Allocation.
"However, after this, it will be practically impossible to allow oxygen to be taken out of the state considering the present situation," Mr. Vijayan wrote to PM Modi.
The main oxygen-producing unit of the state is Inox, located at Kanjikode in Palakkad. Its total production capacity is 150 metric tonnes and with other smaller units, the state is producing 219 metric tonnes of oxygen each day, Mr. Vijayan wrote.
Given that the state is geographically far from the main steel plants, making the transfer of oxygen difficult, "I request that the entire oxygen produced in the state, ie 219 MT, may be allocated to the state of Kerala. This may be supplemented by the allocation from steel plants," Mr. Vijayan wrote.
Mr. Vijayan has also requested the Centre for allocation of more cryogenic tankers, which can be pooled by running Oxygen Express trains for Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala for transferring additional quantities of liquid medical oxygen.
All government hospitals have been asked to focus on Covid-linked cases, apart from which only emergency services have been allowed. Hospitals in the districts have been asked to prepare oxygen beds.
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