Odisha: Centre approves 8 PSA oxygen generation plants, Dharmendra Pradhan thanks PM Modi

Amid an unprecedented medical oxygen shortage in India, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday extended gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan after the approval for PSA oxygen generation plants in eight districts of Odisha through PM Cares Fund. Pradhan also informed that the oxygen plants will be set up by the DRDO. The eight districts include Balasore, Bhadrak, Bolangir, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Koraput, Nayagarh, and Sonepur.

He took to Twitter and said, "Thank Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji and Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan Ji for the approval to establish PSA oxygen generation plants in another 8 districts of Odisha through the PM Cares Fund."

In the following tweet, he added, "These PSA oxygen generation plants coming up at Balasore, Bhadrak, Bolangir, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Koraput, Nayagarh and Sonepur will be installed by DRDO. DRDO is already setting up PSA plants at Boudh and Cuttack."

Indian Navy Brings 340 Metric Tonnes Of Liquid Oxygen

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy on Sunday brought to India 340 metric tonnes of liquid oxygen, more than 3,700 oxygen cylinders, and other medical supplies from abroad as the country continued to reel under a severe second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The supplies were brought by two warships from Singapore, Brunei, and Qatar. As India is battling a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, around 40 countries have sent medical supplies including oxygen-related equipment to help it tide over the situation. The leading countries that have supplied assistance to India included the US, Russia, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Belgium, Romania, Luxembourg, Singapore, Portugal, Sweden, New Zealand, Kuwait, and Mauritius. 

COVID In Odisha 

Odisha's COVID-19 tally mounted to 6,92,382 on Sunday as the state reported its highest single-day spike of 12,852 new cases, despite undergoing lockdown for more than two weeks, a health department official said. The state also registered 28 fresh COVID fatalities, the biggest one-day count, which took the toll to 2,484, he said. Of the new cases, 7,195 were reported from quarantine centers and the remaining 5,657 detected during contact tracing.

Khurda district, which comprises the state capital Bhubaneswar, recorded the highest number of fresh cases at 1,909, followed by Cuttack (1,073), Angul (874), Sundergarh (848), Kalahandi (668), Mayurbhanj (586), and Balasore (508).