Breathe easy: Oxygen Express with 76 tonnes of O2 arrives at Guntur

Guntur: The Oxygen Express carrying 76.39 tonnes ofliquid medical oxygen In four containers from Kanalus in Gujarat state arrived at New Guntur Railway Station here on Sunday. The Oxygen Express which left Reliance Retail Terminal, Kanalus on May 14, travelled a total of 1854 kms with an average speed of 58.85 kmph, reached Guntur at 4.12 am on Sunday.

Principal Secretary to government and Special Officer, Covid Control Room, MT Krishna Babu, Covid management and Covid vaccination special officer Dr Arja Srikanth, Joint collector AS Dinesh Kumar visited New Guntur railway station. They directed officials to take steps to send tankers to the concerned districts as soon as they are filled with oxygen.

Krishna Babu recalled that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy requested the Centre to allot 910 metric tonnes of oxygen to the State.

He remembered that the 40 metric tonnes of oxygen had already reached Krishnapatnam on Saturday and added that allotment of additional oxygen is useful to meet increasing needs of oxygen."We will keep some oxygen stocks," he said.

Oxygen stocks will be sent to Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts.

He said that MP Parimal Nathwani requested to allot more oxygen to the State. "We have taken steps to check wastage of oxygen and audit teams were set up. The Chief Minister is negotiating with Centre to get more oxygen," Krishna Babu Said. Joint Collector AS Dinesh Kumar said that about 85 to 90 metric tonnes of oxygen is necessary for Guntur district to meet the demand. He said they have taken steps to check wastage of oxygen.

Guntur Railway Division senior commercial manager Narendra Varma,DMO Rambabu, Reliance Industries AP Head, RaviRami Reddy were among those present.