The Maharashtra government has decided that vehicles carrying oxygen tanks and cylinders would be placed in emergency category and sirens would be installed, said Additional Chief Secretary, Ashish Kumar Singh in a media statement on Monday evening.

He was attending an online joint meeting with the Chief Minister, Divisional Commissioners and Collectors of the State for reviewing the Covid preparations. Singh said that emergency category for vehicles will allow unhindered transportation of the cylinders to the hospitals.

Also speaking on the occasion, State Health Secretary Pradeep Vyas said that at present the State produces 1,000 tonnes of oxygen but the requirement is much higher and may further increase.

To help the District administration track the demand for oxygen supply, a State-level control room has been set up. The exact use of oxygen should be audited daily and waste should be avoided.

As the number Covid patients started increasing in September, the State government by an order made it mandatory for companies supplying oxygen in Maharashtra to reserve 80 per cent of their production for medical use and the rest for industrial use. The order is in force till December.

Using the provisions of the Infectious Diseases Control Act and the Disaster Management Act the order was issued. Steel, glass, ceramics, pulp and paper manufacturing industries are the large consumers of oxygen.

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