Nine empty oxygen tankers were airlifted in C-17s aircrafts planes from Hyderabad, Telangana, to Angul, Odisha, on Friday morning to cut down time it takes for road journey. Around 150 metric tons of oxygen would be brought in using these tankers. Indian Air Force (IAF) extended their services.
One way distance from Hyderabad to Angul is 1058 kms. It takes over three days for two-way journey. Senior officials told The Hindu earlier that this amount of time cannot be spent in the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Friday morning, the State Health Minister Eatala Rajender, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, Drug Control Administration’s director Preeti Meena oversaw the process of getting the tankers into the planes.
After getting filled with oxygen at a steel plant in Angul, the tankers would return by roadways. So they have to cross 1058 kms by road in return journey. Mr Rajender said that the tankers are expected to return by April 27.
Principal secretary of State Health department Syed Ali Murtaza Rizvi coordinated with his counter part in Transport department Sunil Sharma to put this plan into action.
