Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team are waking up early this time. The second wave caught the government unawares. But since the third wave has been predicted by almost all experts, the government doesn't want to take chances.

About 1,500 PSA oxygen generators are going to be made operational in the country at the earliest. These many plants would support more than 4 lakh oxygenated beds, the government said.

About 8,000 people are already undergoing training in the operational aspects. These paramedics, nurses and doctors will help tide over the third wave, whenever it strikes India.

Several States are early starters in terms of preparation. Uttar Pradesh has set up pediatric ICUs. As per a government official, Oxygen plants are installed in almost every big government hospital and isolation centres in Gujarat.

The third wave is said to be starting in Kerala.

Meanwhile, the vaccination pace has dropped. From 5 million doses per day in the last leg of June, we are down to 3 million in July. "If 75% of those above the age of 12 in India have to be inoculated by the end of this year, there is a need to vaccinate 6.6 million individuals per day," Jayaprakash Narayan said.