Indian Navy saves lives during oxygen crisis, Cyclone Tauktae
T
he Indian Navy has four major roles to play – military, diplomatic, constabulary and benign. During the recent weeks, the Navy has been engaged in urgent missions involving benign activities such as search and rescue, disaster relief and humanitarian aid. This was necessary as the nation has been struggling to manage the oxygen crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
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SAILORS & WARRIORS
and natural disasters such as Cyclone Tauktae. Among the most notable developments on this front was the design and development of Mobile Oxygen Generation Plants, termed 'Oxygen on Wheels' by Naval Dockyard Visakhapatnam under the Eastern Naval Command (ENC). The plants, which are intended to meet the shortage of
The recent missions of the Indian Navy included transporting liquid oxygen and tanks from abroad; developing oxygen generation plants and rescuing people from stranded and sinking vessels during the severe cyclone that hit the western coast of India oxygen used in COVID-19 treatment, were inaugurated by Vice Admiral A B Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-inChief ENC. The Naval Dockyard Technical team conceived and developed the Oxygen Generation Plants with 100 litres per minute capacity, designed to provide a direct feed to any hospital's pipeline system. The Oxygen Plants, mounted on trailers, can easily be transported to remote hospitals and connected to the hospital's fixed oxygen piping system - to serve as the main feed for up to 16 beds. The Oxygen System can also serve as a backup to prevent incidents of low oxygen pressure especially in smaller hospitals and rural areas. Earlier, ships of the Indian Navy transported several tonnes of liquid
