Maharashtra : Government to hire cryogenic mobile tankers to address supply shortage of liquid oxygen

Pune : The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) including health department and the All India Industrial Gases Manufacturers’ Association (AIIGMA), is working on easing the supplies of cryogenic oxygen mobile tankers. It will be adding more vehicles to the existing 148 vehicles in the state.

Earlier, upto September 21 cryogenic mobile tankers supplying oxygen within one state could not be supply oxygen in other states as per the rules in the existing Motor Vehicles Act 1988. However the Union government committee managing oxygen supply across country, issued a notification on the exemption of permit required for such vehicles till March next year. Now it can supply oxygen tanks in other state as well while working in the former one. The AIIGMA had brought to notice the non-permitable issue to the ministry after which on September 21,the notification was issued.

AIIGMA president Saket Tiku said, “There is ample of scarcity of cryogenic mobile tankers in Maharashtra. These were doubled due to the complicated rules in the Motor Vehicles Act. For instance, a vehicle registered in Maharashtra can do business only within Maharashtra. It cannot cater to the industry of another state, even though it can go to that state. This created problems in hiring such oxygen supply tankers from other states.”