E-Paper
UP industrial authority plans 'oxygen grid' to ease O2 supply during Covid-19
UPSIDA said that it is in talks with various oxygen producing companies of the country to set up oxygen production units in the state.
The Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) has taken the lead to provide help in increasing oxygen production in the state to help coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patients. The initiative has been launched on the call given by chief minister Yogi Adityanath, it said.
UPSIDA said that it plans to establish an 'oxygen grid' all across the state, extending from Saharanpur in the West to Deoria in the East covering all regions of Uttar Pradesh. The authority said it is in talks with various oxygen producing companies of the country to set up oxygen production units in the state.
In order to fast-track establishing of the 'oxygen grid', the UPSIDA has taken some key initiatives, like priority allotment of land usually within a week and providing fast clearances to investors planning to set up units.
In the last one year since the onset of the pandemic, UPSIDA has prepared a land bank of all plots available in its various industrial areas and also chalked out a detailed roadmap for closely monitoring all the project-proposals received in this regard.
The authority said that 19 medium-sized companies from across Uttar Pradesh have shown interest in setting up these kinds of units in different industrial areas of UPSIDA with the proposed investment of nearly ₹503 crore. These companies are expected to produce 770 tonnes of oxygen and nitrogen per day. The companies are located in Greater Noida, Saharanpur, Shajahanpur, Bareilly, Mathura, Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat, Rae Bareli, Hardoi, Basti, Sultanpur, Amethi, Gorakhpur, Mau, Varanasi and Prayagraj, said UPSIDA.
So far, seven companies have been allotted land, another four have identified land and in-principle approval for allotment has been issued to them on priority, the authority said, adding that the applications of the companies are expected to be cleared through fast-track mode.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had said on Monday that the process was on to set up 300 oxygen plants in Uttar Pradesh to make sure there was no oxygen crisis in the fight against Covid-19. He was in Ayodhya to review medical arrangements made by the district administration there.
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.
