‘Defunct plants to be revived on war-footing’

TIRUNELVELI: As there has been a huge demand for oxygen to treat COVID patients, Tamil Nadu Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu today said all defunct oxygen-producing plants across the State will be revived and ensure that they commence their operations soon.

Talking to reporters after inspecting a defunct oxygen plant at the SIPCOT Industrial complex in Gangaikondan in this district, he said steps were on to ensure the early operation of all defunct plants for treating COVID-19 patients.

Thennarasu said he and Collector V Vishnu held talks with the authorities of the plant which stopped oxygen production in 2014 itself for various reasons.

Assuring that the government would extend all help to resume oxygen production at the earliest, he said Tirunelveli Sub-Collector had been entrusted with the task of coordinating with the officials of the plant — which has the capacity to generate 2.50 tonnes of oxygen a day — to facilitate the early production of the life-saving gas.

“Following instructions from Chief Minister MK Stalin, steps have been taken to ensure production of oxygen from every possible source, even though some of the oxygen making units are not functioning now,” he added.

‘’We will facilitate early operation of these plants to produce oxygen and supply to the patients,” Thennarasu said. Instead of producing oxygen that was stopped in 2014, the plant is now bottling the gas in cylinders after getting it from various sources.

Since the plant had stocked a good number of oxygen cylinders when the Minister and the Collector arrived at the premises, they asked the plant officials to immediately transport the cylinders to the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital where 940 critically-ill COVID-19 patients were put on oxygen support.