4 years after Covid centre shut, NMMC to finally move oxygen tanks to hospitals

The three tanks—about seven metres long and two metres wide—are lying horizontally in the exhibition centre premises, on a pathway and lawn next to the parking area

Navi Mumbai: Four years after a 1,200-bed Covid Care Centre set up at the Cidco Exhibition and Convention Centre in Vashi was shut, at least three large, 13,000-litre liquid medical oxygen storage tanks are still lying outside the facility, exposed to sun, rain and humidity.

The three tanks—about seven metres long and two metres wide—are lying horizontally in the exhibition centre premises, on a pathway and lawn next to the parking area. (Satish Bate/Hindustan Times)

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has now finally initiated the process to shift and recommission the tanks at three civic hospitals, at a cost of ₹42 lakh, according to officials aware of the matter.

Opened in June 2020, the Covid-care facility at the exhibition centre was shut in August 2022 after the pandemic subsided. While the medical wards were cleared, the large oxygen tanks remained at the venue.

The three tanks—about seven metres long and two metres wide—are lying horizontally in the exhibition centre premises, on a pathway and lawn next to the parking area, even as the venue has since returned to its regular use for exhibitions, conventions and other events.

An NMMC official said the civic body plans to dismantle, shift, install and commission the tanks at General Hospital, Vashi; Mother and Child Hospital, Belapur; and Mother and Child Hospital, Turbhe.

The tender floated by NMMC for the work has thrown up a cost of ₹42 lakh, with Reubens Hospitech Pvt Ltd emerging as the lone and lowest bidder after the technical and financial evaluation was completed on September 4. However, the work order has not yet been awarded.

The delay raises questions over why the equipment was not shifted after the Covid facility was dismantled, whether the tanks and associated equipment were properly maintained during the intervening period, and why they remained on the exhibition premises for nearly four years.

The delay also raises questions over why Cidco allowed the tanks to remain on its premises for nearly four years despite the exhibition centre having resumed normal operations.

When contacted, a Cidco official said, “We had been following up with NMMC on the issue and are still pursuing the matter to clear the venue of the tanks at the earliest.” Repeated attempts to contact NMMC medical officer Dr Rajesh Mhatre did not elicit any response.

Social activist Dinanath Mhatre questioned the delay and the status of the tender. “There is still no confirmation if the tender will be given, as there seems to be only one party that bid. If there is a re-tender, it will take more time. Besides, why wait for four years for this?” he said.

The tanks were part of NMMC’s emergency oxygen infrastructure during the second wave, when medical oxygen had become a major concern. The civic body had created about 93 metric tonnes of liquid medical oxygen storage capacity, including 60 metric tonnes at the Cidco exhibition centre. Navi Mumbai’s oxygen requirement had touched around 28 tonnes a day at the peak of the pandemic.

The oxygen system at the Vashi centre was progressively strengthened during the pandemic, with the initial cylinder-based arrangement later supplemented by a piped supply network.

The prolonged outdoor storage now raises concerns over the condition of the equipment. Before recommissioning, NMMC will have to ensure that the tanks, valves, piping, supports, and associated components meet the required technical and safety standards after years of disuse and exposure.

Mhatre said the equipment should have been redeployed much earlier. “The equipment should have been moved to functioning hospitals soon after the Covid facility was closed. Instead, it has remained lying in the open for years. This reflects poor planning and delayed decision-making in handling a costly public asset,” he said.