Maha: 14 oxygen generation plants to come up in MMR soon

In the wake of high demand for medical oxygen for COVID-19 patients, 14 plants for producing the life-saving gas from the atmospheric air will come up soon in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Maharashtra minister Eknath Shinde said on Sunday.

Talking to reporters here, Shinde said one plant will produce about 2 tonnes (960 liters per minute) of oxygen in a day, which is adequate for 200 oxygen beds.

Three of these plants will come up in the civic limits of Thane, two each in Kalyan-Dombivli and Navi Mumbai, and one each in Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar, Ambarnath, Badlapur, Mira- Bhayander, Vasai-Virar and Panvel, he said.

The work has been started and these plants will become operational in the next few days, the state urban development minister said.

The state government decided to set up these plants to ensure there is no shortage of oxygen in view of the rising number of COVID-19 cases, he said.

Shinde said the agencies involved in oxygen production have been identified and work orders have been issued.

The minister also said that five to six plants producing 1 to 1.5 tonnes of oxygen daily were also being set up in Gadchiroli district.

Shinde is the guardian minister of Gadchiroli.