Oxygen production at Sterlite to resume soon, says Minister

Once the plant attained the temperature required for the liquefaction process, oxygen would be generated and dispatched in cylinders, the Minister added. The State government has also been extending all support to set up new oxygen plants in Tamil Nadu, Minister Thennarasu said.

Meanwhile, the Oxygen Express hauling 78 metric tonnes of liquid medical oxygen from Rourkela steel plant, Odisha, reached Milavittan station in Thoothukudi’s SIPCOT area around 4 pm. The consignment was received by Minister Thennarasu along with Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi and Collector K Senthil Raj. This would cater to the requirement in south Tamil Nadu.

On the oxygen distribution to the southern districts, he said 17.18 tonnes would be sent to Tirunelveli, 15 tonnes to Madurai Government Medical College Hospital, 13.38 tonnes to Kanniyakumari, 8 tonnes to Thoothukudi, 8 tonnes to Thoothukudi Gases, 5.5 tonnes to Sivaganga, 6.6 tonnes to Theni, 6 tonnes to Kalyan Private Limited in Madurai, 3 tonnes to Arasan Air Products in Madurai, 2 tonnes to Arasan Air Products in Thoothukudi and 1.5 tonnes to Tenkasi.

Transportation charts were prepared and given to truck drivers and a police escort vehicle led by sub inspectors was deployed for each truck to ensure that oxygen reached the destination without any hindrance, he added.