Swift op helps Taloja oxy plant bring vital spare part from Guj

Mumbai: A technical snag in a Taloja oxygen plant on May 10 resulted in officials across departments in the state and the Union government working their phone lines and carrying out an operation for over 16 hours to ensure that the snag did not affect oxygen manufacture. Linde India plant at Taloja supplies about 243 metric tonnes of oxygen daily to hospitals in the state.

- Sanjeev Devasia

A metallic expansion joint in the plant worth just Rs 55,000 was the cause of the snag and is manufactured at Mehsana district in Gujarat. The spare part was airlifted in an overnight operation by an Indian Air Force plane from Ahmedabad to Mumbai and delivered to the Taloja plant at 4.30 am the next day.

When the company informed district officials about the snag around noon on May 10, officials knew what was at stake and informed the state oxygen team. District officials were told that the unit that manufactures the spare part in Mehsana, would take around 24 hours to make it.