Reliance joins Covid-19 battle, supplies 700 tonnes of oxygen daily

New Delhi: Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has joined companies like Tata Steel in the fight against the second wave of Covid-19. The Mukesh Ambani-owned firm claims to have upgraded facilities at the world’s largest oil refining complex at Jamnagar, Gujarat, to manufacture medical grade oxygen at scale to fulfil the shortage of the life-saving element. 

The Jamnagar refinery is currently producing 700 metric tonnes of oxygen on a daily basis, a spokesperson of Reliance Industries told Moneycontrol. “If required, we can scale it up,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying. 

Reliance is currently supplying oxygen to three badly hit states: Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Union territories of Diu, Daman and Silvassa are also getting oxygen supplies from Reliance at the moment. 

The oxygen supply to Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh will reportedly save the lives of over 70,000 critically ill patients every day, according to a report by the Press Trust of India. Reliance is apparently taking care of all the operations by itself, bearing the costs of logistics and cold supply chains. 

Besides the Jamnagar facility, Reliance is setting up two more facilities at Hazira. One of the facility is reportedly already working while the other one is expected to become operational pretty soon. 

On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court had ordered the Central government to urge steel makers and petroleum firms to help the nation mitigate the crisis. In addition to Reliance, Tata Steel is also providing medical oxygen supply to worst-hit states to protect the lives of people battling against Covid-19. Currently, India is faced with a massive shortage of medical-grade oxygen.