PM Oli virtually lays foundation stone of liquefied oxygen plant in Nepal's Rupandehi district

Kathmandu, Jun 14: Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday virtually laid the foundation stone of Nepal's first-ever liquefied oxygen plant in the Lumbini Province which will help cater to growing domestic demand and reduce oxygen imported from India, amidst the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

The plant is being set up at Simarhawa of Rupandehi district in the province.

The country has been facing a shortage of oxygen and oxygen cylinders as the second wave of COVID 19 hit Nepal, Prime Minister Oli noted while laying the foundation stone from his official residence Baluwatar.

It was an unprecedented event of happiness at a time when the country had been reeling under an acute crisis of oxygen, he noted.

The government was compelled to import oxygen and other essential medical equipment, he said.

"Later, the government thought that it would be appropriate to set up an oxygen plant on its own," he added.

The oxygen plant being installed in Rupandehi can produce 60 metric tonnes of oxygen daily, which can refill 7,000 big oxygen cylinders in day?," he noted.

He also said that the government was ready to waive customs tax to encourage the establishment of as many oxygen plants as possible in the country.

Surplus oxygen produced from those plants could be exported to neighbouring countries or utilised for industrial purposes once the pandemic was over, he pointed out.

The oxygen plant under construction is expected to help substitute oxygen imported from India.

With 2,382 new cases, Nepal's COVID-19 tally reached 606,778 on Sunday. The countrywide death toll has now reached 8,366 and the number of active cases stands at 71,301.