Mumbai: Swift op helps Taloja oxy plant bring vital spare part from Guj

Mumbai: A technical snag in a Taloja oxygen plant on May 10 resulted in officials across departments in the state and the Union government working their phone lines and carrying out an operation for over 16 hours to ensure that the snag did not affect oxygen manufacture. Linde India plant at Taloja supplies about 243 metric tonnes of oxygen daily to hospitals in the state.
A metallic expansion joint in the plant worth just Rs 55,000 was the cause of the snag and is manufactured at Mehsana district in Gujarat.The spare part was airlifted in an overnight operation by an Indian Air Force plane from Ahmedabad to Mumbai and delivered to the Taloja plant at 4.30 am the next day.
When the company informed district officials about the snag around noon on May 10, officials knew what was at stake and informed the state oxygen team. District officials were told that the unit that manufactures the spare part in Mehsana, would take around 24 hours to make it.
Raigad collector Nidhi Choudhari sought help from Mehsana collector HK Patel who asked the firm to hasten manufacture of the part. State officials were told it would take 48-72 hours to get the part delivered by road, which would have affected oxygen supply to hospitals.
“I was told around 5.30 pm on Monday that the part must be got to Taloja quickly,” said state transport chief Avinash Dhakne who made 125 calls during the operation.
While Linde officials informed that the spare part will be ready by 7.30 pm, the commissioner called up the joint secretary (air) at the Defence ministry and got in touch with top officials in the Union home ministry and Indian Air Force headquarters, who assured help.
State officials also got in touch with the director of aviation in the state to put in place an alternative arrangement to transport the part as a standby. Later, the Air Force sent a plane from Delhi, which landed at Ahmedabadaround 8.45 pm. The Mehsana superintendent of police, Ahmedabad collector and Ahmedabad police ensured a trouble-free run to get the spare part to the airport. As final touches were to be made to the spare part, delivery was delayed, and it finally reached the airport at 12.45 am.
The Air Force plane finally landed at Mumbai airport around 3.30 am on Tuesday. State Protocol Officer Ashok Salve, who was deputed to the airport, handled airport formalities. RTO officials were at the airport to transport the spare part which was finally delivered to the Taloja plant around 4.30 am.