New Delhi: India’s daily new cases continue to rise and 2,61,500 new cases were registered in the last 24 hours. Ten States including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan reported 78.56% of the new cases. In all 1,501 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare claimed today.
Maharashtra continued to report the highest daily new cases at 67,123 and casualties (419 deaths) as well. Uttar Pradesh reported 27,334 while Delhi reported 24,375 new cases and167 daily deaths.
Sixteen states, as shown under, are displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases and the national weekly positivity rate has increased from 3.05% to 13.54% in the last one month. Chhattisgarh reported the highest weekly positivity rate among states at 30.38%.
In face of acute shortage of medical oxygen, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra state governments approached Ministry of Railways to explore whether Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) tankers could be moved by Railways. Following a meeting between Railway Board officials and State Transport Commissioners and representatives of industry on the subject of “Issues related to transportation of Liquid Medical Oxygen” yesterday, the Railways has decided to run ‘Oxygen Express’ and a Green Corridor is being created to fast movement of these Oxygen Express Trains. Today a trial was organised at Boisar (Western Railway) where a loaded tanker was placed on a flat (DBKM) wagon.
It was decided that the tankers would be organized by Transport Commissioner, Maharashtra. These empty tankers would be moved from Kalamboli/Boisar, Railway stations in and near Mumbai, and sent to Vizag and Jamshedpur/Rourkela/Bokaro, for loading of liquid medical oxygen tankers from there .
In pursuance of the above decision, instructions have been issued to Zonal Railways to ensure readiness to receive the trailers and load them back. Ramps have to be built at Vizag, Angul and Bhilai and the existing ramp at Kalamboli is to be strengthened.
Railways have already placed DBKM wagons at Kalamboli and at other locations in expectation of movement of tankers to various locations. Railways are awaiting advice from Maharashtra to move the tankers.
The Railways Ministry stated today that the Kalamboli ramp would be made ready by tomorrow (April 19, 2021) and ramps at other locations would also be ready in a couple of days by the time the tankers reach those locations. “Tentatively a movement plan has been made for dispatching 10 empty tankers on April 19, 2021,” it stated.
In the meantime, keeping in view the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in various parts of the country and the resultant rapid demand for medical oxygen, particularly in high-burden States, Union Home Secretary today also wrote to Chief Secretaries of States and Administrators of Union Territories to take necessary measures to prohibit supply of oxygen for industrial purpose, except in the following nine industries:
- Ampoules & Vials
- Pharmaceutical
- Petroleum refineries
- Steel plants
- Nuclear energy facilities
- Oxygen cylinder manufacturers
- Waste water treatment plants
- Food & water purification
- Process industries which require uninterrupted operation of furnaces, processes, etc. as approved by respective State governments.
The industrial units, other than those listed above, which would not be in a position to obtain oxygen were advised to consider alternate measures such as import of Oxygen or setting up their own Air Separator Units (ASU) for generation of Oxygen for their captive requirements.
– global bihari bureau
