Presently, the public sector companies under the steel and petroleum ministries are producing 4000 - 4500 MT of oxygen out of the country’s total daily manufacturing capacity of 7000 - 7200 MT.

Union Minister for Steel and Petroleum Dharmendra Pradhan is overseeing the entire process whereas his team is in-charge of coordinating with several states and ministries for supply purposes.

The production of steel, liquid nitrogen and argon has been cut down to augment the oxygen production by the steel plants. The general safety stock has been reduced to 0.5 days from the usual 3.5 days in order to fulfill the increased supply.

In a week’s time, the steel PSUs have increased the volume of their dispatch of oxygen from 1700 MT to now 2,894 tonnes of the same on a daily basis.

For example, the PSU Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) is delivering 140 tonnes of medical oxygen daily. Similarly, the Steel Authority of India (SAIL) has dispatched a massive 34,647 MT of medical oxygen right from August 2020 to 24 April, 2021.

“Under the guidance of PM Modi, the message has gone to companies to ensure transportation and augmentation of supplies in whatever way possible. Refineries and steel plants have maximised the production of liquid medical oxygen by reducing their own demand for industrial use,” Pradhan was quoted in a report by The Economic Times.

On the other hand, the oil PSUs are establishing pressure swing absorption (PSA) medical oxygen plants at 93 places across the country.

This is being done to expedite facilities of captive oxygen generation at hospitals in order to reinforce the availability and supply of medical grade oxygen in these times of dire needs.