Oxygen supply, steel production remain unaffected amid disruptions due to cyclone: Govt

The government on Thursday said supply of oxygen and steel production at steel plants remained unaffected amid disruptions caused by the cyclone Yaas in eastern states of India. Cyclon Yaas made landfall in Balasore in Odisha on Wednesday.

"No disruption of steel production or oxygen supply took place," the Ministry of Steel said in a statement. On May 23, the ministry said it had already held a meeting with all major steel players to ascertain the likely impact of Cyclone Yaas on steel making and oxygen production. The representatives of the Ministry of Power and the concerned state governments were also present in the meeting, it said.

Accordingly, all measures were taken to ensure that power failures do not take place. Representatives of Tata Steel, which has plants in Odisha, have confirmed that there has not been any impact of cyclone Yaas on the liquid medical oxygen (LMO) production at Tata Steel plants. Dispatch of LMO from all the attached oxygen plants in Kalinganagar, Jamshedpur and Angul also continued as usual without any disruption.


"There was a reduction in tankers reaching Kalinganagar as the same were diverted to Jamshedpur. This was as per the contingency plan because of the impending cyclone," the ministry statement said. SAIL plants at Durgapur, Burnpur and Rourkela were also well prepared for the cyclone.

Similarly, JSPL and JSW that have plants in Angul and Jharsuguda in Odisha were well prepared and did not face any disruption during cyclone Yaas, it said.