Covid-19 second wave: Which states have raised oxygen disaster with Centre
The second wave of coronavirus in India has seen oxygen turning into gold as each different state has urged the Centre to extend their provide. Not solely Delhi however states reminiscent of Kerala, Punjab, West Bengal and Karnataka have put forth a requirement earlier than the Centre to extend their quota of medical oxygen. However, throughout a listening to within the Supreme Court over Delhi’s oxygen scarcity, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, showing for the Centre, had submitted that if the central authorities will increase the availability of a sure state, it must divert it from different states’ quota.
At the time of the primary coronavirus lockdown within the nation in March 2020, the Centre had taken over the ability to allocate oxygen to states primarily based on their demand by invoking the Disaster Management Act, 2005. This implies that even when a state has the required infrastructure to supply, retailer, and transport oxygen, it must ask the Centre to offer the required provide of oxygen.
Here are the states which have raised the problem of oxygen scarcity with the Centre.
Delhi
On Friday, the Supreme Court Friday directed the Centre to provide 700 metric tonnes of medical oxygen to Delhi daily, assembly the capital metropolis’s longstanding demand which has seen over 7,000 folks shedding the battle to Covid-19 since April.
The Supreme Court’s order got here after the Delhi High Court rapped the Centre for supplying solely 480 MT of oxygen to the capital metropolis as an alternative of its promised allocation of 700 MT per day. The excessive courtroom, which was approached by a number of hospitals within the metropolis panicked over the scarcity of oxygen, had additionally issued a contempt discover in opposition to the Centre which was later turned down by the Supreme Court.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had not too long ago mentioned the town’s oxygen demand has elevated to 900 MT per day and is predicted to develop additional.
also_read title = “Also Read” article_title= “Why India is falling short of the life-saving gas” id = “7293089” liveblog = “no” ]
Karnataka
Following the strains of the Delhi High Court, the Karnataka High Court additionally directed the Centre to extend the medical oxygen allocation to the state to 1200 MT per day from the current 965 MT.
When the Centre challenged the order within the Supreme Court, the highest courtroom refused to intrude with the High Court’s directive, saying “we will not leave the citizens of Karnataka in the lurch”.
West Bengal
Days after assuming workplace for a 3rd successive time period, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi searching for an elevated provide of medical oxygen for Covid-19 therapy. The chief minister mentioned the every day consumption of oxygen in Bengal has gone as much as 470 MT within the final 24 hours and is predicted to extend to 550 MT per day in a few week.
Mamata mentioned that any allocation lower than the requested quantity is not going to solely adversely have an effect on the availability, however may additionally end in lack of lives of sufferers within the state.
Kerala
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan additionally wrote to the PM, asking him to offer not less than 1,000 tonnes of imported Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) and 50 lakh doses of Covishield and 25 lakh doses of Covaxin to the state in view of the surge in Covid-19 instances.
Punjab
On April 25, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh wrote to Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, asking him to extend the state’s medical oxygen quota. According to a report printed in indianexpress.com, the present every day oxygen demand within the state is round 105-110 MT and it’s additional anticipated to rise to 150-170 MT.
