Resources proving inadequate: Arvind Kejriwal requests counterparts to provide Oxygen to Delhi

I am writing to all CMs requesting them to provide oxygen to Delhi, if they have spare, said Arvind Kejriwal.

Amid a raging Oxygen crisis in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has urged his counterparts of other states to help the national capital. He said that all available resources in the city are proving inadequate due to the severity of the COVID-19 cases. “I am writing to all CMs requesting them to provide oxygen to Delhi, if they have spare. Though Central govt. is also helping us, the severity of corona is such that all available resources are proving inadequate,” he said.

The Delhi government and several city hospitals have approached the Delhi High Court seeking uninterrupted supply of the medical oxygen.

Hearing submissions by the counsel for Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, Jaipur Golden Hospital, Batra Hospital and Saroj Super Speciality Hospital over shortage of oxygen for treating seriously-ill COVID patients, the court today asked the Delhi government to inform any instance where any central or state officials is stopping Oxygen tankers destined for Delhi and the court said that it will hang that person.

The HC noted the Oxygen problem continues in Delhi due to the fact that supply of oxygen even at the allocated amount is not taking place. “You had assured us that 480 MT per day will reach Delhi. Tell us when will it come? We want a definitive date. The 480 MT per day is still to see the light of the day?” the court asked the Centre.

The Delhi government has submitted in the court that it was getting only 380 MT Oxygen daily over the past few days and it received only around 300 MT yesterday.

Responding to the statement, the central government informed the court that one of the reasons for the shortage in supply was that the Delhi government is not providing cryogenic tankers for liquid oxygen. To this, the Delhi government’s counsel informed the court that since Delhi is not an industrial state, it did not have access to such tankers.

The Centre submitted in the court that various states are making similar arrangements for converting existing tankers for storage of oxygen or are procuring such tankers from other sources. It said that the Delhi government too should make endeavours in that direction.

Meanwhile, the Congress party today alleged that while the Arvind Kejriwal government has been spending money on advertisement, it did not spend a penny for augmenting state’s Oxygen capacity.