New Delhi: In a major development, fertilizer companies have decided to join hands to supply 50 metric tonnes of medical oxygen per day to boost India’s fight against Covid-19.

Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Chemicals & Fertilizer Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday chaired a meeting to explore the possibility of production of oxygen in their plants, with fertilizers companies of public sector, private and cooperative sectors.

It is expected that approximately 50 metric tonnes (MT) of medical oxygen per day can be made available for COVID patients by the fertilizer plants. These steps will augment the medical grade oxygen supply to hospitals in the country in the coming days.

Mandaviya called upon the fertilizer companies to help the society during this pandemic time by reorienting their existing capacity of oxygen production and augmenting the supply of medical grade oxygen to the hospitals.

The fertilizer companies welcomed the initiative of the minister and readily showed interest to join the efforts of the Government of India to fight COVID -19 situations in the country.

IFFCO, a public sector undertaking, is putting up an oxygen plant with capacity of 200 cubic meters per hour at its Kalol unit in Gujarat and their total capacity would be 33,000 cubic meters per day. Similarly, GSFC has made small modifications in their plants and started supplying liquid oxygen. GNFC has also started supplying liquid oxygen for medical purposes after starting an air separation unit.

According to an official statement, GSFS and GNFC have already started processes to enhance their oxygen production capacities. The other fertilizer companies will set up medical plants in hospitals/plants at selected locations in the country through CSR funding. /BI/