Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reviewed the situation arising out of the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the country and given directions for various measures to augment the supply of oxygen for medical purposes. Accordingly, an expert group is optimizing and rationalising the allocation of oxygen to various states and UTs.
The Home Ministry is also coordinating lifting of high-capacity tankers from abroad to make available additional tankers for movement of oxygen. The Home Ministry had issued an order on April 22 under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, directing the states and UTs to take various measures to ensure uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen across the country. The ministry wrote to all states and UTs today to ensure compliance with this order and to provide adequate security to oxygen-transporting vehicles and make provisions for exclusive corridors for such transportation, treating these vehicles like ambulances.
A Home Ministry release said on Friday that the central government has prohibited supply of oxygen for industrial purposes. It said this has resulted in significant augmentation of supply of medical oxygen. The release said, "Steps are being taken to further reduce consumption of industrial oxygen by industries. It will augment the supply of oxygen for medical purposes."
The ministry has also written to states and UTs to direct district collectors to list all the plants situated in their district in which different types of oxygen is generated along with the installed capacity. The release further said, "They should also take action to revive those plants, which lying closed. These efforts will ensure ready availability of oxygen at the district level, besides supply of medical oxygen from usual channels."
The release further stated, "The Indian Air Force has started transporting empty tankers after delivery of oxygen to destination state or union territory to oxygen producing locations to reduce movement time. With a view to make available additional tankers for movement of oxygen. MHA coordinating lifting of high capacity tankers from abroad, such as Singapore and UAE by Indian Air Force transport planes."
