Oxygen Shortage

The Delhi HC on May 1 ordered the Central government to supply 490 metric tons of allocated oxygen to Delhi on same day or face contempt. Reportedly, the order came after the death of eight COVID-19 patients at Batra hospital due to oxygen shortage. Declining Centre’s request to defer the order till May 3 the court said "Much water has gone above head. Now we mean business. Enough is enough." 

The Delhi HC on April 29 asked the Centre why Delhi is receiving less oxygen supply than Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Ordering to either give justification or "make amends" the court asked why Delhi’s oxygen quota was not raised despite Delhi government’s request. Accepting that several states received more oxygen than other, solicitor general Tushar Mehta said the government is rationalising the issue and will soon respond to court’s… read-more

Asking the Centre’s preparedness regarding COVID’s second wave peak in mid-May, the Delhi High Court on April 24 warned to hang anyone blocking the movement of medical oxygen. Terming the second wave as ‘Tsunami’ the court sought preparedness of infrastructure, hospitals, vaccines and oxygen. It also asked the Centre, when Delhi will fully be satiated with its 480 metric ton oxygen quota per day.

Maharashtra-based JSW Steel has offered to provide 400 metric tonnes of liquid-oxygen to Karnataka every-day in order to cope up with the lingering oxygen-shortage. Reportedly, the agreement was signed after a meeting held between Mines and Geology Minister Murugesh R Nirani and JSW representatives. However, Nirani also urged several other steel companies to lend hands in mass production of oxygen to address the public health emergency.