Oxygen shortage Delhi High Court directs immediate suspension of oxygen supply to industries
Delhi/IBNS: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed implementation of order to suspend oxygen supply to industries immediately, said media reports.
Amid jump in coronavirus cases and reports of shortage of oxygen across the country, the Centre on Sunday had asked all states to stop supply of oxygen for industrial purposes except those which fall in the exempted category from April 22.
“Industries can wait. Patients cannot. Human lives are at stake,” a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli told the central government.
The court issued the directive while hearing a petition on Covid-19 tests.
The Centre told the court that the ban was essential to save the lives of Covid patients in states like Maharashtra and Delhi among others which have been constantly reporting a surge in infection.
“Keeping in view the rapid rise in Covid cases and resultant rapid demand for medical oxygen, particularly in high-burden states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, etc, EG-II has reviewed the supply of oxygen for industrial use in order to divert the same to meet the rising demand for medical oxygen in the country and save precious lives,” Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote in a letter to all chief secretaries on Sunday.
The Centre had also furnished a break up of oxygen supply to the states facing shortage under which Maharashtra was allotted 1,646 metric tonnes of oxygen, followed by Uttar Pradesh which was given 752 metric tonnes and Delhi which was allotted 378 metric tonnes.
"Del facing acute shortage of oxygen. In view of sharply increasing cases, Del needs much more than normal supply. Rather than increasing supply, our normal supply has been sharply reduced and Delhi’s quota has been diverted to other states. OXYGEN HAS BECOME AN EMERGENCY IN DEL," Kejriwal wrote in a tweet.
Del facing acute shortage of oxygen. In view of sharply increasing cases, Del needs much more than normal supply. Rather than increasing supply, our normal supply has been sharply reduced and Delhi’s quota has been diverted to other states.
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 18, 2021
OXYGEN HAS BECOME AN EMERGENCY IN DEL
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had written to Union commerce & industries minister Piyush Goyal, requesting him to ensure 700MT of oxygen on daily basis and restoration of supply of 140MT of oxygen by INOX.
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