Jalandhar DC flags liquid O2 shortage

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 20

Taking a cue from Delhi and other big states facing rising demand for oxygen, the district administration on Tuesday said that there was a requirement of liquid oxygen here.

In a letter released by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ghanshyam Thori to the Managing Director of Punjab Health System Corporation, it is mentioned that the district has a total requirement of 3,000-3,500 cylinders on a daily basis as cylinders are also being supplied to the neighbouring districts of Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur.

The letter reads, “Jalandhar district has a daily requirement of 3,000-3,500 cylinders. Of them, 400-500 cylinders are being supplied to Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr districts. Thus, the district has a total requirement of approximately 4,000 cylinders per day. The district can now produce only 2,400 cylinders daily from atmospheric oxygen at two of its plants — Shakti Cryogenics and Indian Air Products, Jalandhar.”

The letter further mentions that the remaining requirement is met from the liquid oxygen which is supplied through vendors from Panipat, Sonipat, Rajpura and Bathinda districts. “Therefore, we need approximately one liquid oxygen tanker (16MT) per day to meet our daily demand,” reads the letter.