Under the state’s ‘Oxygen Operation’, a major COVID respite arrived in Lucknow on Monday morning in the form of the second Oxygen Express train. Carrying about 60,000 litres of liquid medical oxygen, the roll-on-roll-off (RoRo) delivery service from Bokaro reached Charbagh Railway Station, to meet the threatening shortage of oxygen supplies amid persistent COVID rise across UP. Two of the four tankers, each loading 15,000 oxygen capacity, were immediately ferried to Jhansi and Bareilly to stabilise the COVID recovery there. The other two will be employed in Lucknow itself, read reports.
Oxygen respite reached Lucknow
Two tankers of the second Oxygen Express, accommodating 30,00 litres of oxygen have been parked at the Charbhagh Railway station in Lucknow, to provide life support to critical COVID patients here. Amid the COVID scourage, this will help to provide for the oxygen demand for the day.
Approved by the Centre, the Oxygen Express services by the Indian Railways have been commissioned to Uttar Pradesh as part of the state’s ‘Oxygen Operation’. The first Oxygen Express arrived in Lucknow on Saturday with 30,000 litres of oxygen for the state capital while another service, carrying about 75,000 litres of LMO is expected to reach Charbagh on Tuesday.
The Indian Railways are running ‘Oxygen Express’ trains across the country and will continue these services for the next few days to overcome the oxygen shortage, felt in several states, amid the COVID rise. Meanwhile, given the current pandemic situation, the Centre has effectively stopped the use of liquid oxygen in all other industries. The Ministry of Home Affairs further announced the oxygen supplies will be allowed for medical purposes only.
