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New Delhi : In a significant decision taken by the Union Government on April 18, 2021, the supply of Oxygen for industrial purposes by manufacturers and suppliers has been prohibited from April 22, 2021, till further orders. The matter was deliberated by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) with all the stakeholders and after due deliberations, it was considered prudent to restrict the industrial usage of oxygen to meet the rising demand for medical oxygen. The surplus oxygen to be available as a result of this temporary restriction will facilitate its freeing up for use as medical oxygen for treatment of COVID19 patients.
This prohibition, however, shall not apply to the supply of oxygen for the following nine industries:
i) Ampoules & Vials
ii) Pharmaceutical
iii) Petroleum refineries
iv) Steel plants
v) Nuclear energy facilities
vi) Oxygen cylinder manufacturers
vii) Waste water treatment plants
viii) Food & water purification
ix) Process industries which require uninterrupted operation of furnaces, processes, etc. as approved by respective State governments.
The industrial units, other than those listed above, which would not be in a position to obtain oxygen, are advised to consider alternate measures such as import of Oxygen or setting up their own Air Separator Units (ASU) for generation of Oxygen for their captive requirements.
The Union Health Ministry has advised all Chief Secretaries to ensure effective implementation and compliance of this order. Additionally, the Railways Ministry is gearing up to transport Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) and Oxygen Cylinders across the key Corridors, and to run OXYGEN Express. To facilities easy and smooth transport of oxygen across the country, a Green Corridor is being created for fast movement of Oxygen Express Trains. This will ensure supply of medical oxygen in bulk and rapidly to patients, according to a PIB release.
The country has been facing an unprecedented surge in the new daily cases of COVID in various States and UTs across the country. The requirement for Medical Oxygen is a critical component in the treatment of COVID affected patients. In view of the recent surge in the country of COVID19 cases, the requirement of oxygen for effective clinical treatment of COVID patients has also witnessed a manifold hike. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has conveyed that this has already reached about 60 percent of the total daily Oxygen production, and is expected to rise further. There have been reports of shortage of medical oxygen from some States and UTs.
The Government of India has been regularly monitoring and ensuring smooth supply of essential medical equipment including medical oxygen to the affected states and addressing challenges that arise from time to time. The Empowered Group-II (EG-II) headed by Secretary, DPIIT, is mandated by Govt. of India to manage requisite supplies of medical equipment, drugs including medical oxygen across the country.