300 O2 plants coming up in UP: CM

LUCKNOW : Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said the process was on to set up 300 oxygen plants in the state to make sure there was no oxygen crisis in the fight against Covid-19.

He was in Ayodhya on Monday to review medical arrangements made by the district administration there.

“The state government is in the process of setting up 300 oxygen plants which will be made operational soon. Out of this, 18 are coming up in Ayodhya division and six of them have already been installed,” he said to reporters.

“The state’s sugarcane department is also installing one oxygen plant in each district across the state,” he said.

On the increasing demand for oxygen, the chief minister said: “In normal situations, there was a requirement of 300

metric tonnes (per day) of oxygen in the state. But the second wave of Covid-19 has posed a challenge before us.”

Adityanath said that the state was getting 1000 metric tonnes of oxygen (per day).

He also said 2000 ambulances had been engaged in the state for ferrying Covid patients.

Commenting on the Covid vaccination drive, the chief minister said: “At 4,300 vaccination centres, 1.65 crore people have been vaccinated. From May 1, those above 18 years are being vaccinated at places where there are more active cases.”

The jabs would be given at all 75 districts, he added.

The CM also issued an appeal to people not to venture out of their homes unnecessarily and to step out only after wearing mask. He urged them not to take the pandemic lightly.

Earlier, the CM inspected Covid-19 command centre at Vikas Bhawan and then presided over a meeting at the collectorate to review arrangements of fight the pandemic.