Delhi HC notes obstruction of oxygen from UP, Haryana; orders Centre to ensure no blockage

Intervening in the national capital's oxygen crisis, Delhi High Court on Thursday, pulled up the Centre for obstruction of oxygen supply to Delhi from Haryana's Panipat and UP's Faridabad. With Delhi govt informing about more hospitals' oxygen supply set to deplete, Delhi High Court ordered Centre to implement the MHA's order ensuring no hindrance in oxygen tanker movement. Moreover, the Court tasked the Centre to map out the oxygen supply to various states from private players on a national-level, rejecting Delhi's offer to directly contact private players.

Delhi HC notes obstruction in oxygen supply

The Court noted that the supply of oxygen to Delhi has been obstructed from Air Liquidae, Panipat and supply of oxygen from Faridabad border to Delhi was obstructed for several hours. It also noted that while the Centre has assured supply of 480 MT of oxygen to Delhi in terms of order dated Apr 21, only 200-250 MT of oxygen was received in the day until we passed the order. With Delhi govt informing that Saroj Hospital, Aakash Healthcare and Shanti Mukund Hospital will soon run out of oxygen, Delhi High Court has suggested that oxygen firm Inox must continue to supply to Delhi and let Panipat plant supply to Haryana.

With MHA issuing a strict advisory to states ordering that there must be no hindrance in the transport of medical oxygen across states, Delhi HC has ordered the Centre to ensure implementation of the order. The Court has lauded the Railways for allocating oxygen from steel plants Durgapur, Kalinganagar to Delhi. Haryana has informed that Fortis Gurgaon too has run out of oxygen while UP's Prakash Hospital in Noida has also claimed it has run out of oxygen. With the Railways asking states to arrange for cryogenic containers to transport oxygen across the nation, the Court has ordered Delhi govt to make arrangements for the same.

Delhi Vs UP & Haryana

The Kejriwal govt has alleged that Uttar Pradesh and Haryana govts have stopped oxygen tankers from entering Delhi. Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has alleged that the shortage of oxygen in Delhi's hospitals has occurred because an oxygen plant in Faridabad has stopped supply for Delhi, while INOX Air's plant in Greater Noida was being stopped from supplying to Delhi. After Centre's intervention, both plants have resumed supply but the Delhi govt alleges that the promised 480 MT has not yet been met. Now, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has dialled Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and has been assured of 140 MT oxygen supply to Delhi.  Currently, Delhi has 85,364 active cases and 8,31,928 people have discharged while 12,887 have died.