Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police has created a green corridor for Oxygen Tankers in the state, an official said on Friday.
State Police on Thursday escorted two tankers carrying oxygen from Angul and Jajpur in the state to Visakhapatnam and Pune respectively, the official said. The tankers were loaded in the presence of the local police in Angul.
The State police in a statement said that based on the directive of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, a special cell has been formed under Additional Director General, Law and Order, Yashwant K Jethwa as the nodal officer for coordinated action for loading and transportation of medical oxygen by Odisha to states facing acute deficit.
A dedicated green corridor for oxygen carrying vehicles is set up, wherever necessary, along with police escort for interstate coordination and smooth movement. SPs/DCPs and range DIGs/IGs/CP shall supervise the movement personally within their jurisdictions,” a release issued by the state police said.
During the past 24 hours, 15 tankers containing more than 250 tonnes of medical oxygen from Rourkela, Jajpur and Angul district in Odisha have been despatched to Visakhapatnam (A.P), Hyderabad (Telengana), Indore (M.P), Pune, Mumbai and Nagpur (Maharashtra). A dedicated corridor has been formed by Odisha Police for prompt and unhindered movement so as to service thousands of needy patients without any delay.
Later on Friday, two tankers from Angul to Visakhapatnam and two from Jajpur to Ghaziabad and Visakhapatnam will leave soon.
The Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Delhi had on Thursday thanked Patnaik for helping them get the oxygen supply.
Meanwhile, ECoR said that Railways will run Oxygen Express trains from steel plants to different parts of the country to meet the demand for LMO due to the spike in COVID-19 cases.
A release by East Coast Railways said the first loaded Oxygen Express has left for Maharashtra from Visakhapatnam.
Each tanker is loaded with 15 tons of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) which will help patients in hospitals in the western region, it said.
Seven empty tankers from Kalamboli goods shed in Maharashtra reached Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) in Visakhapatnam early Thursday morning. LMO was filled in the tankers and the train left for Maharashtra in the evening, it said.
A joint effort by Waltair Division of East Coast Railways and RINL made the project a success, ECoR said.
The Railways had transported essential commodities and kept the supply chain intact during the lockdown in 2020. Now the Oxygen Express trains will help patients and different hospitals, ECoR General Manager Vidya Bhusan said.