JOIN USGovt bans supply of oxygen to industries to meet demand from Covid-19 patients
With 60% of India’s total oxygen production consumed by the medical sector because of the rising Covid-19 caseload, the Centre on Sunday stopped industrial use of oxygen in all but nine areas for a better supply of oxygen to the hospitals.
The decision has been taken on the basis of recommendations made by an empowered group of officials, who reviewed oxygen supply scenarios in the high-burden states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh.
The nine exempted industries are ampoules and vials, pharmaceutical, petroleum refineries, steel plants, nuclear energy facilities, oxygen cylinder manufacturers, wastewater treatment plants, food and water purification and process industries which require the uninterrupted operation of furnaces and processes as approved state governments.
Every other industry will either have to import oxygen or set up their own generation plants for captive requirements. The order will come into effect from April 22, 2021.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla conveyed the decision to the Chief Secretaries asking them to take appropriate actions.
In addition, the Union Health Ministry on Sunday said 33 PSA (pressure swing adsorption) technology-based oxygen production units are operational and another 59 will start operation by April end. They are part of 162 such units, which are being set up in hospitals with support from the PM-Cares Fund.
The ministry statement comes hours after the publication of an investigative report by Scroll demonstrating how the Narendra Modi government wasted eight months to float the tenders to commission these plants. Most of the plants are nowhere near completion because of the poor performance of the three companies that won the tender.
While the high requirement for medical oxygen was known from the early days of the pandemic last year, there is no explanation on why the Modi government delayed floating the tender and failed to monitor timely commissioning of such plants.
The Centre has now decided to open up another 100 such plants in far-flung areas and remote hospitals. India also plans to import 50,000 metric tonnes of medical oxygen anticipating worse days ahead.