Delhi's oxygen demand subsides to 582 MT; Dy CM tells Centre to redirect excess elsewhere

In a massive U-turn, Delhi has now turned oxygen-excess asking Centre to redistribute it to other states as its demand reduced to 580 MT on Thursday. Addressing a press conference, Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia said that Delhi's oxygen demand has dropped from 700 MT per day to 580 MT as Delhi's positivity rate dropped to 14%. The AAP govt has extended its lockdown till May 17 amid the second COVID surge.

Delhi has excess oxygen

Addressing a press conference, Delhi Cy CM Manish Sisodia said, "Now positivity rate in Delhi is 14 per cent. During the crisis, we needed 700MT Oxygen on a daily basis and hence applied to the Central govt. Today, after assessment of the COVID19 situation, Delhi's oxygen need is 582 MT per day. As a responsible government, we will give the surplus oxygen to the States who need it. We want to grateful to Supreme Court and Central Govt. for helping Delhi during the crisis."

On May 7, the Supreme Court ordered the Centre to maintain a daily supply of 700 MT to Delhi. It warned of coercive action after the Delhi govt revealed that it had received just 86 MT pf oxygen as of 9 AM and 16 MT was in transit. A day later, the Delhi govt cried afoul claiming that the Union Territory received only 478 metric tonnes of medical oxygen as opposed to the daily quota of 700 MT warning that if the situation further worsens, the oxygen needed would have to be increased to 976 MT.

India's oxygen shortage

Currently, India is grappling with acute oxygen supply with Delhi being hit the worst - several hospitals have moved the High Court seeking oxygen supply. While the Centre and Delhi govt have blamed each other for the ongoing oxygen crisis in the national capital, Railways has started 'Oxygen Express'  to transport liquid oxygen to the states via green corridors. These trains have already begun to arrive at UP, Maharashtra, Andhra from Odisha, Jharkhand and others. Delhi, which has increased its demand to 900 MT oxygen per day has been allotted only 480 MT by Centre. Delhi has demanded the Centre's help in procuring more oxygen, accusing UP and Haryana of obstructing its supply and expressing the inability to procure tankers. The Delhi HC has warned the Centre with contempt proceedings if the oxygen quota of Delhi (490 MT) is not met with, tasking the Centre with arranging tankers for Delhi. Except for nine sectors, the supply of oxygen for industrial purposes by manufacturers and suppliers has been prohibited from April 22 as a temporary measure.

Later last week, the SC ordered the Centre to collaborate with states and prepare a buffer stock of oxygen for emergency purposes and decentralize the location of the emergency stocks. Moreover, SC has ordered the Centre to maintain a daily supply of 700 MT to Delhi and constituted a 12-member National Task Force of oxygen distribution. The SC bench - now comprising of Justices DY Chandrachud & MR Shah - has also lauded the HCs' proactive action in pulling up the Centre & state govts over COVID issues in their jurisdictions, refusing to interfere in it.