Delhi Govt to set up 57 oxygen plants

Having witnessed shortage of oxygen for Covid patients in and outside hospitals, during (mid-April to mid-May) the period when Delhi was registering over 20,000 new Coronavirus cases per day, the Delhi Government has planned to install 57 oxygen plants in the city.

As per the Delhi government, out of the total oxygen plants to be installed in the city, eight would be pressure swing absorption (PSA) plants which have been approved by the Centre. It is part of the preparation of a possible third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has recently set up two separate committees of senior bureaucrats and doctors from different government hospitals, to ensure available stock of medical oxygen and other medical facilities, including Covid drugs if the city faces a third possible wave of Covid pandemic.

The Delhi government informed that orders for five buffer tanks have already been placed and will be installed by June 10.

"Also, PSA oxygen plants have been installed in 11 Delhi government hospitals over the past one month. Additionally, 46 more plants will be installed within the next two months. So, in total, Delhi government will have 57 plants with a combined capacity of 64MT at 35,000 LPM," said a Delhi government's spokesperson.

Observing the need of these oxygen plants, city's land owning agency -- Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had on Tuesday decided to modify its building bye laws to give go ahead signal to both government and private hospitals with their plan to install oxygen plants on the ground floor of the buildings.


Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal, who is also the chairman of DDA, while chairing a meeting with the officials on Tuesday had observed that oxygen plants have become essential, especially after the city faced an acute oxygen shortage during the second wave of the pandemic.

"No notice and building permit will be required from the sanctioning authority for installation of PSA plant or liquid medical oxygen plant (LMO) or similar related infrastructure in hospitals," DDA's notification issued on Tuesday said.-IANS