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The Supreme Court hearing the case on supply of oxygen to Delhi on Thursday, has asked the central to ramp up the supply. Court asked the union government to make pan India for oxygen to tackle the third wave.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Union government, said a large quantity of oxygen has been supplied to Delhi but unloading is taking time in the national capital. “All the major hospitals that use LMO are included in the survey. Significant stocks available with hospitals are there. Large quantities, which reached Delhi yesterday, have not been distributed,” he said.
“Unloading is taking too long from Delhi. Tankers need to be unloaded so that they can go back to eastern corridor to replenish the stock. Two Oxygen Express trains are reaching Delhi today. Other two trains with 63 MT are also coming. 126 MT of oxygen in ISO container is being brought from Durgapur too,” Bar & Bench quoted him as saying
Responding to the Centre’s plan, Justice DY Chandrachud said, “The formula that you have used requires complete revamp. When you made the formula, not everyone who went to the hospital required an oxygen bed, not everyone required ICU or ventilator. There are many who have been asked to stay at home and put up a home set up. What your formula shows for Delhi, it might actually be a gross underestimation of what Delhi requires. We agree that an audit is required. But, this needs to be looked into. We realise that other States also need it.
“What we need to do is look at this in a pan-India state. Yes, we need to look at the oxygen audit, and we need to reassess the basis for oxygen allocation. You are in Stage 2 of pandemic. Stage 3 might even have very different parameters,” Live Law quoted him as saying.
“But, if we prepare today, we will be able to handle Stage 3. It’s not just about allocating oxygen to a State, but equally logistics of a proper oxygen audit takes place and a proper modalities for distribution. That’s why I said other States can be looked at,” Justice Chandrachud said.
