Odisha police ensure smooth oxygen transport during Yaas Cyclone

BHUBANESWAR: Apart from playing a key role in evacuating people to safety in view of Cyclone Yaas, the Odisha police have also ensured smooth transport of medical oxygen to Covid-hit states during the calamity. Instructions have been given to the superintendents of police (SPs) of the districts, especially Bhadrak, Balasore, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj to make necessary arrangements.
While liquid medical oxygen is currently being sent to different states from various industrial units in Sundargarh (Rourkela), Jajpur (Kalinga Nagar), Dhenkanal and Angul districts, the cyclone is expected to cause damage to Jajpur district.Since the oxygen-laden tankers and containers may have to pass through the cyclone-affected Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj to other states, the state police headquarters has alerted the concerned SPs to supervise the ‘green corridor’ arrangement.
“Adequate teams of Odisha disaster rapid action force (ODRAF) have been deployed in the vulnerable districts. Immediately after receiving information, they will clear the roads by removing the broken trees and electric poles for smooth movement of the oxygen tankers,” additional director general of police (law and order) Jeshwant Jethwa said.
Police will temporarily suspend the movement of the oxygen tankers in the vulnerable districts a few hours before and after the landfall. SPs have been asked to ensure safe parking of the containers and safety of the drivers/helpers.
In the last 33 days, the Odisha police through their dedicated green corridor have facilitated the loading and transport of nearly 21478 MT of medical oxygen by 1167 tankers to Covid hospitals in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Chandigarh and Kerala.
Besides coordinating with the interstate movement of oxygen tankers, the state police have taken steps to ensure that the supply of medical oxygen to the hospitals in Odisha during the cyclone is not disrupted.