Uttar Pradesh: Chandauli gives oxygen tankers ‘VIP’ status to save transportation time

VARANASI: The Chandauli police on Tuesday formally gave the status of a ‘VIP’ to the oxygen tankers entering its border from several districts of Bihar. Under this arrangement, the ‘protocol cell’ of the police will put in place all necessary arrangements, including police escorts, to create green corridors and ensure safe and unhindered passage to the tankers.
SP Chandauli Amit Kumar said, “We have developed a new system in UP districts from where oxygen tankers from Jharkhand and Bihar are entering the state.As per new protocol, the cops get an alert call from Mohania toll plaza in Bihar as soon as an oxygen tanker crosses it.
From this point onward, we assign the tanker all protocols given to a VIP like pilot and escort teams to move with siren and beacon in order to create a green corridor and enable it to cross the district in bare minimum time. Before the tankers reach close to the border of Varanasi and Mirzapur, the cops there are alerted to take over the tankers for further journey.”
Many oxygen capsules are being transported by the Oxygen Express service of Indian railways but liquid oxygen is being transported to UP districts by the tankers moving by road. Most of these tankers are coming from Jharkhand via Bihar and entering the state through Naubatpur border of Chandauli district.
SP Chandauli said, “In view of the emergency need of oxygen in almost all districts in UP, our entire focus is on curtailing the time of its transportation. We have a protocol cell in place in districts that handles VIP movement. Till the challenge of meeting demand in all districts exists, I have upgraded the status of all oxygen tankers to a ‘VIP’. This has made the process of tracking, escort and creating green corridors for a fast and safer movement mandatory for the police in the district.”
As the surge of Covid cases and need for oxygen started after April 20 in Varanasi, commissioner of police A Satish Ganesh ordered piloting of oxygen tankers up to 275 km, creating a green corridor on highways by cops to minimize transportation time despite beginning of Oxygen Express service by the railways.
CP said that police teams for piloting and escorting oxygen tankers were rushed up to Dehri on Sone and Gaya in Bihar and ensured that it is reaching here in 12 hours from Jharkhand districts.
Positive results of the initiatives of Varanasi police, which ensured early arrival of two tankers from Jamshedpur on April 23 and 24 at oxygen plants in Ramnagar, enabled to minimize the gap of demand and supply of oxygen for needy patients.
According to ADG Varanasi zone Brij Bhushan, police in districts bordering Bihar, including Chandauli, are now ensuring creation of green corridor for all oxygen tankers passing through it for reaching various destinations, including several districts of UP and other states in bare minimum time.
About five to 10 tankers are entering through Bihar border every day and these initiatives by the men in khaki are helping to save four to seven hours for the oxygen tankers to reach destinations like Varanasi from Jharkhand units as piloting by police is not only ensuring fast movement of oxygen tankers on highways and avoiding stoppages even at toll plazas, but tanker drivers are also getting motivated to drive continuously for saving lives of the people.