<p>Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd is diverting oxygen produced at its refineries to supplement availability in worst-hit Covid states like Maharashtra and the trucks carrying supplies are in transit, sources said.</p>.<p>Reliance's twin oil refineries in Jamnagar have through minor process modification converted industrial oxygen into medical-use oxygen that can be administered to Covid-19 patients low on oxygen, people aware of the development said.</p>.<p>In all, 100 tonnes of oxygen will be supplied from the Jamnagar refineries, they said.</p>.<p>"The supplies will be free of cost since it is for a humanitarian cause," one of the persons said.</p>.<p>Maharashtra Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde too confirmed that the state would get 100 tonnes of oxygen from Reliance.</p>.<p>The person cited above said the trucks carrying oxygen cylinders are in transit.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/centre-asks-states-to-make-rational-use-of-c-ensure-no-wastage-974490.html" target="_blank">Centre asks states to make rational use of c, ensure no wastage</a></strong></p>.<p>However, another source said trucks are stuck in Jamnagar after local authorities stopped their movement.</p>.<p>Unable to get prompt supplies, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.</p>.<p>While Maharashtra is among the worst-hit states facing a fresh outbreak of the pandemic, Gujarat too has seen number of patients swell.</p>.<p>Over four dozen trucks carrying oxygen cylinders are stuck in Jamnagar, sources said.</p>.<p>An e-mail sent to the company for comments remained unanswered.</p>.<p>Facing a huge shortfall in oxygen supplies, Thackeray is believed to have dialled Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the availability of medical oxygen.</p>.<p>He also wrote to Modi saying medical oxygen requirement in the state is projected to reach 2,000 tonnes per day by April-end against the present requirement of 1,200 tonnes.</p>.<p>Oil refineries can produce limited volumes of industrial oxygen in air-separation plants meant for nitrogen production. Scrubbing out other gases such as carbon dioxide can convert it into medical-use oxygen with 99.9 per cent purity.</p>.<p>Reliance operates the world's largest oil refining complex at Jamnagar in Gujarat. </p>
<p>Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd is diverting oxygen produced at its refineries to supplement availability in worst-hit Covid states like Maharashtra and the trucks carrying supplies are in transit, sources said.</p>.<p>Reliance's twin oil refineries in Jamnagar have through minor process modification converted industrial oxygen into medical-use oxygen that can be administered to Covid-19 patients low on oxygen, people aware of the development said.</p>.<p>In all, 100 tonnes of oxygen will be supplied from the Jamnagar refineries, they said.</p>.<p>"The supplies will be free of cost since it is for a humanitarian cause," one of the persons said.</p>.<p>Maharashtra Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde too confirmed that the state would get 100 tonnes of oxygen from Reliance.</p>.<p>The person cited above said the trucks carrying oxygen cylinders are in transit.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/centre-asks-states-to-make-rational-use-of-c-ensure-no-wastage-974490.html" target="_blank">Centre asks states to make rational use of c, ensure no wastage</a></strong></p>.<p>However, another source said trucks are stuck in Jamnagar after local authorities stopped their movement.</p>.<p>Unable to get prompt supplies, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.</p>.<p>While Maharashtra is among the worst-hit states facing a fresh outbreak of the pandemic, Gujarat too has seen number of patients swell.</p>.<p>Over four dozen trucks carrying oxygen cylinders are stuck in Jamnagar, sources said.</p>.<p>An e-mail sent to the company for comments remained unanswered.</p>.<p>Facing a huge shortfall in oxygen supplies, Thackeray is believed to have dialled Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the availability of medical oxygen.</p>.<p>He also wrote to Modi saying medical oxygen requirement in the state is projected to reach 2,000 tonnes per day by April-end against the present requirement of 1,200 tonnes.</p>.<p>Oil refineries can produce limited volumes of industrial oxygen in air-separation plants meant for nitrogen production. Scrubbing out other gases such as carbon dioxide can convert it into medical-use oxygen with 99.9 per cent purity.</p>.<p>Reliance operates the world's largest oil refining complex at Jamnagar in Gujarat. </p>