Karnataka govt to revive defunct oxygen plants: Jagadish Shettar

The requirement of medical oxygen is increasing day by day, he said

Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar, who is in charge of oxygen supply management, tells Shruthi H M Sastry how the situation currently is and the way forward for Karnataka. Excerpts:

What’s the daily requirement of oxygen in Karnataka?

The requirement of medical oxygen is increasing day by day. We need anywhere between 1,200 MT to 1,700 MT daily, depending on the severity of cases.

The Centre has allocated 1,015 MT of oxygen to Karnataka.

During normal periods oxygen allocation to the state was 300 MT. When the pandemic began, it increased to 500 MT. From then it went up in stages to 765 MT, 865 MT and 965 MT. Now it has gone up to 1,015 MT.

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Isn’t this contempt of court? The High Court had directed the Centre to give Karnataka 1,200 MT of oxygen.

No. It was a suggestion made by the High Court and the Supreme Court. The Courts asked the Centre to increase it to 1,200 MT based on the state’s submission of the oxygen required. The government said it will take the decision after discussion with the state. This is where the Court’s observation stands. This will not be a contempt.

Will the government not ask the Centre to increase the allocation?

We’ve already asked. In the current situation, even if the Centre gives us up to 1,700 MT, it’ll be useful.

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The government said it wants to use all the oxygen produced in the state. Has the Centre agreed?

All the manufacturing units put together produce 1,100 MT of oxygen. We’re asking for this entire quantity to be allowed for our use. At present, we’re using only 765 MT here and sending the rest to other states. Meanwhile, we’re getting 160 MT from Odisha and 30 MT from Visakhapatnam. What we get from Odisha is usually delayed as it requires three days for it to reach Karnataka. I’ve personally spoken to Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and have also written letters. The Centre has said a decision will be taken at an appropriate time. They’ve neither denied nor approved the request.

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There’s been a spike in cases in districts across the state. However, the focus seems to be on Bengaluru alone.

There is a nodal team of officers working 24/7 to monitor the situation across the state. They’re assessing the daily requirement of oxygen in each district. Since Bengaluru has the highest number of cases and the population is large, it may appear that the focus is more here. But that does not mean we are neglecting other districts.

Is it a sustainable option to continue waiting for the Centre to increase our oxygen allocation or wait for supply from other states?

We definitely want to become self-sufficient. We’re working towards increasing the supply of oxygen concentrators and generators. The Centre has promised to give 7,000 concentrators. The Centre is also encouraging setting up of oxygen plants at taluk centres. If this is put in place, the fight for oxygen won’t be there. Oxygen concentrators are also cost-efficient. You’ll get a 5-litre concentrator for Rs 40,000- Rs 50,000 and a 10-litre one for about Rs 70,000. Individuals can also directly purchase. All this will be a step towards self-sufficiency.

Is the government looking at increasing oxygen plants?

Yes. We want to set up more oxygen plants. We’re looking at reviving defunct oxygen plants. There are such defunct plants in Yelahanka, Raichur and Bidar. We recently revived an oxygen plant in VISL, Bhadravati. This led to the supply of 150 oxygen cylinders from here. In addition, if we set up another compressor here, it can produce 500 cylinders. Our priority is to revive defunct plants first as setting up new ones will take at least three months.