Amid the second wave of coronavirus crisis, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday, May 14, urged the sugar cooperative industry to produce oxygen, much needed for hospitals treating COVID-19 patients.
He was speaking after attending the virtual inauguration of an oxygen production plant of Dharashiv Sugar Cooperative in the Osmanabad district.
This development comes in order to counter the third wave of COVID-19. He also stated that the Maharashtra government is implementing Mission Oxygen, which will aim at achieving self-sufficiency in oxygen production by targeting production of 3,000 metric tonnes.
The sugar cooperative is the first in the state to start oxygen production, an official release said.
"Our production capacity is 1,200 metric tons per day while the demand is 1,700 metric tons. If we produce 3,000 metric tons of oxygen, we will be self-sufficient," he was quoted as saying by TOI.
Moreover, Thackeray mentioned that the state needs to become self-sufficient in oxygen production to beat the second wave of COVID-19. In the first wave, the State Government set up many testing labs, Covid care centres and increased bed capacity. The challenge of the second wave is huge. Under Mission Oxygen, the sugar industry should take the initiative in the field of oxygen production, he said.
Municipal corporations are trying to ramp up their oxygen production and sugar cooperatives should also follow the suit, he added.
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