Chennai: Multiple efforts have made Tamilnadu, which was running short of oxygen till a week ago, to breath easy now.
While oxygen production in the State has been increased, O2 was brought to Tamilnadu from various places including trains.
Chief Minister M K Stalin Wednesay flagged off vehicles carrying 1,400 imported oxygen cylinders and regulators to 18 districts of the State, to aid efforts in the fight against the spread of Covid-19.
An official release said these oxygen cylinders and regulators, imported from Singapore, were being sent to Cuddalore (100), Sivaganga (100), Tiruvannamalai (100), Dharmapuri, Dindigul Kallakurichi, Kanniyakumari, Karur, Nagapattinam, Namakkal, Ramanathapuram, Theni, The Nilgiris, Tirupattur, Tiruvarur, Villupuram and Virudhunagar (75 each) and Ranipet (50).
The State government has issued orders for procuring 1,915 oxygen cylinders, 2,380 oxygen regulators, 3,250 medical oxygen flow meters, 5,000 oxygen concentrators and 800 filled cylinders at a cost of Rs 40.71 crore, the release said.
Of this, 515 oxygen cylinders, 1,780 oxygen regulators and 250 medical oxygen flow meters have been imported so far. “Steps are taken to ensure the remaining orders are received at the earliest,” it added.
Stalin on Wednesday donated 20 oxygen concentrators to Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi on behalf of his Kolathur Assembly constituency.
Meanwhile, the Southern Railway has said 1,242 tonnes of oxygen has been distributed to Tamilnadu so far. Also, the 22nd Oxygen Express has reached Chennai.