Ladakh: Leh Administration Ramping Up Oxygen Infra To Boost Fight Against COVID In ‘Zero-Mile’ Villages

The administration in Leh is building up the supply of oxygen in the forward areas of the region through addition of new plants.

This is being done in the backdrop of ongoing border standoff with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and also to step up efforts in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic in the zero-mile villages over there.

Deputy Commissioner Shrikant Balasaheb Suse informed the Times of India, “We have a new oxygen plant operating at Diskit in the Nubra sub-division earlier this month and a tender has been awarded for another plant at Nyoma sub-division to improve oxygen supply in these areas.”

Diskit is around 113 km north of Leh and is 11 km away from the Indian Army’s Siachen Brigade headquarters. On the other hand, Nyoma is located about 180 km eastwards to Leh.

Both the plants are rated at a capacity of 100 liter per minute (lpm) whereas the administration is also considering establishing additional plants at Tangste and Khaltse.

These planned plants are designed to assure sustained oxygen supply in winters when road connectivity in places such as Tangtse and Nubra is hampered owing to avalanches on high passes and heavy snow.

Meanwhile, places like Kargil and Leh already have an oxygen plant each in the government sector with the latter having the provision of two more plants that have been developed by the private sector.