India's Covid crisis: Bhutanese express solidarity, country to supply oxygen
India-Bhutan
As the COVID crisis creates havoc in India, Bhutan will be supplying 40 metric tonnes of liquid oxygen to India. The oxygen will be exported using cryogenic tankers and will come from a new plant from Motanga Industrial Estate in Eastern Bhutan's Samdrup Jongkhar district.
A release from the Indian mission in Bhutan said, "The provision of oxygen by Bhutan will augment India’s efforts to win the fight against COVID-19 and save precious lives" and "this is a practical manifestation of the uniquely close and friendly ties between India and Bhutan."
The plant has been set up by a Bhutanese company SDCryogenics Gases Pvt Ltd andhas a domestic investment of 51 per centby Bhutan's CryogenicsGasesand FDI component of 49 per centbyAssam-based Indian companyMeghalaya Oxygen Pvt Ltd.
Meanwhile, a strong show of support has been seen by the people of Bhutan for India amid the Covid crisis. Many Bhutanese took to Twitter showing solidarity with India.Dechen Namgyal, a Bhutanese medical student tweeted, "This is what Bhutan can do as a friend", Bhutan sending Oxygen to India.
Namgay, a multimedia journalist in Bhutan tweeted, "My thoughts & prayers are with India, every day".
Tenzing Lamsang, Editor of The Bhutanese Newspaper recalling his student days in Delhi tweeted said,"I am so so sorry for what is happening to some of the warmest & most generous people on earth."
A board at a coffee shop in Bhutan had written, "can we just take a moment today and pray for India"
India has reported over 300,000Covid cases daily for the last few days. New Delhi, via its mission, has been trying to get oxygenand has got the first consignment from Saudi Arabia. The country so far has also been able to bring oxygen containers from Singapore, UAE, and Thailand.