Mumbai: Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Tuesday said that many sugar factories have responded to NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s call to set up oxygen plants by tweaking the existing technology in the present set-up. Tope said Pawar and CM Uddhav Thackeray desire Maharashtra to become self-sufficient in oxygen as it should not have to approach others for its supply. The government has already launched Mission Oxygen to increase the domestic oxygen production to 3,000 metric tonnes from the present 1,250 MT.
Sugar factories have the potential to produce daily 500 MT as some of them have already launched production.
The govt is focusing on ramping up tests in a bid to control the positivity rate and fatality rate. ‘’Sindhudurg, Raigad, Kolhapur and Satara continue to have positivity rate above 5%. Govt is keeping a close vigil as it has directed the district administration to step up implementation of corona containment measures,’’ said Tope.
Tope’s statement came days after the government from June 7 has launched five level unlock strategy based on the positivity rate and the oxygen bed occupancy.
As far as vaccination is concerned, Tope said the state government has urged the Centre to increase supply of vaccine doses as Maharashtra has reported a cumulative vaccination of 2,62,28,293 as on Tuesday and it continues to remain at the top among other states.
