In the midst of a tense standoff between different states over the availability of medical oxygen, the Centre announced today that there will be no restrictions on the commodity’s movement and that supply cannot be limited to any single state. It also prohibits the provision of oxygen for industrial use before further directives are given.
Following the Delhi government’s protest that Uttar Pradesh and Haryana had stopped supplying oxygen in the midst of a raging second wave of COVID-19 and badly exhausted stocks, the Union Home Ministry issued an order today for free inter-state movement of oxygen-carrying vehicles.
“No limitations shall be placed on oxygen distributors and providers to limit oxygen supply to hospitals situated solely in the state or Union Territory in which they are located,” the order said.
“Supply of oxygen for industrial uses, except those exempted by the government, is banned with effect from April 22, 2021, and until further instructions,” the order said.
The order issued by the Union Home Ministry is based on the presumption that the guidelines issued earlier under the Disaster Management Act for the effective control of COVID-19 do not include restrictions on the inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods.
The second wave of COVID-19 has wreaked havoc throughout the country in recent weeks; on Thursday, India recorded 3,14,835 new infections, the world’s highest daily number, and a staggering 2,104 deaths in 24 hours.
As a result, medical equipment such as oxygen, beds, and ventilators are in short supply. Some of Delhi’s largest hospitals, for example, have been operating with just a few hours’ worths of oxygen in recent days, placing pressure on vendors and producers.
As a result, states such as Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have accused each other of obstructing deliveries and diverting supplies to hospitals and medical facilities within their control.
