ITC ties up with Linde India to supply 24 cryogenic ISO containers to Centre amid oxygen crisis

(Image: Reuters)

At a time when several hospitals across the country are struggling to procure medical oxygen for COVID-19 patients, diversified conglomerate ITC Limited has said it will airlift 24 cryogenic ISO containers from Asian countries in collaboration with Linde India Ltd to help ease the shortage.

The multinational company said: “To serve the national priority and Government’s effort in easing bottleneck of medical oxygen supply to hospitals, ITC is air freighting 24 cryogenic ISO containers from Asian countries in collaboration with Linde India Ltd.”

To serve the national priority & Government’s effort in easing bottleneck of #medicaloxygen supply to hospitals, ITC is airfreighting 24 cryogenic ISO containers from Asian countries in collaboration with Linde India Ltd (1/2)@PMOIndia@nsitharaman@PiyushGoyal@AmitShahpic.twitter.com/C3wkwPY0bx

— ITC Limited (@ITCCorpCom) April 24, 2021

ITC is already airlifting oxygen containers and its paper unit in Bhadrachalam has begun supplying oxygen to neighbouring areas.

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The company added: “ITC is committed to supporting the Government and it will continue to explore other avenues to help address the emerging challenges.”

The Centre has already banned the supply of oxygen for industrial purposes, except in some specified industries, and termed it “essential public health commodity”, in view of the severe oxygen shortage that hospitals are reeling under.

The demand for medical oxygen from states such as Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh has increased manifold over the past weeks as India saw a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the wake of the second wave of the pandemic.

The country has been reporting over three lakh fresh coronavirus cases over the past few days and there has been a steep increase in the daily death toll as well.