Rly divisions gearing to produce hand sanitisers for its staff for use during coronavirus outbreak

Railway divisions across country are gearing to produce hand sanitisers for its staff who are working through coronaviurus outbreak to ensure that y don't have to depend on market availability of product, officials said on Wednesday.

First on block is Asansol division of Eastern Railway which has produced 500 litres of hand sanitiser for its workforce.

"re are labs in every loco shed, so we will produce such sanitisers in every division subsequently," said a senior official.

sanitiser produced in laboratory at Andal Diesel Shed in Asansol, West Bengal consists of 760 ml of Iso propyl alcohol (99 per cent), hydrogen peroxide 42 ml (3 per cent), 15 ml of glycerin, 183 ml of distilled water and perfume.

"We have staff which is working even during this pandemic and we thought it was necessary that we secure m. We have produced about 500 litres and we have given this in small bottles to our staff. We are also trying to produce it at or places in division," a spokesperson for ER told PTI.

raw materials have been procured from Kolkata official said and cost of sanitizer has been fixed at Rs 310 per litre although it is currently t for commercial use.

Taking a cue from Asansol, Jodhpur division too has come out with 215 litres of hand sanitisers prepared by Diesel Locomotive Shed Bhagat ki Kothi and distributed to 13 different units of division.

"To prevent spre of coronavirus, 500-litre sanitiser was built by diesel shed at Asansol, West Bengal on railway, rey for distribution. It has also been produced by or railway units," tweeted Railway Minister Piyush Goyal hailing achievement.

railways on Wednesday extended suspension of all passenger trains till April 14, but said that its frieght operations to carry essential goods would continue.

move came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's anuncement on Tuesday that entire country would be on lockdown for 21 days in view of spre of coronavirus.

Coronavirus cases in country crossed 600 on Wednesday as authorities beefed up preparedness to fight pandemic with a chain of hospitals of army ordnance factories and central paramilitary forces earmarking over 2,000 beds for isolation and treatment of people affected by disease.