“Supplying oxygen from places almost 1500 km away from Delhi is acting as a bottleneck in supply of Oxygen”: Delhi Government informs Delhi High Court

The Division Bench of Justice Vipin Sanghi & Justice Rekha Palli took up the plea related to shortage of oxygen in Delhi at 2:00 PM instead of 3:00 PM upon Advocate Rahul Mehra appearing for GNCTD urgent request of the Delhi Govt receiving SOS from various hospitals in Delhi about shortage of oxygen. 

“Saroj Hospital & Shanti Mukund Hospital will run out of oxygen. Everything is being stopped in UP, Haryana. We are not able to contact INOX. Tirath Ram Hospital will run out of oxygen by 6:00 PM today.”, Mehra informed the Bench while he continued reading the messages. 

SGI upon Mehra’s request submitted that he could take instructions from the officials if a list is given to him. 

Mehra: People are going to lose their lives. 

SGI: I am saying this with a sense of despair & responsibility. Let a responsible officer file an affidavit of whatever we are saying. We are equally concerned. Human lives matter equally to all. If we get the list, I can take instructions & respond in 5/7 minutes. 

Advocate Satyakam, ASC informed the Bench that although the Govt increased the allocation of oxygen supply to 480 MT however the same was being delivered from places that were almost 1500 kms away from Delhi. 

“Physically it is not possible to supply oxygen from places almost 1500 km away from Delhi. 100 liters was allocated from Durgapur, Kalinga. Resources in Haryana are not responding to our phone calls.”, Satyakam added.

Justice Sanghi asked Mehra about the steps that the State Govt had taken after the Delhi High Court’s order.

“They are spread PAN India. Because of the distance it is not possible for the same to be delivered in a day. Only 100 MT has been received. There are 2 jurisdictions one in UP & one in Haryana & in UP, the plant has been taken over by the officials.”, Mehra submitted. 

While he was making his submissions he also pointed out to the tweet by 

& read the message as per which the hurdles that Hospitals in Delhi were facing to get oxygen. One of the messages read, “INOX is only allowing the trucks that are only bound for Haryana.” 

Another tweet by Dr Sangeeta from AIIMS Hospital read, “As I tweet an oxygen tanker is outside Panipat & he is not being allowed by Haryana Police & I need urgent help.”

Ms Sumita Dawra, Additional Secretary, DPIIT informed that, “Our focus is on working very closely with the state govt. With respect to the Panipat issue, the same has been resolved. We are supplying oxygen from Uttrakhand, UP, Bhiwadi Rajasthan. The cases are increasing there too, but we are still focusing on Delhi.”

Justice Sanghi: Right now your allocation is not being respected by the states. Local's are obstructing the supply of oxygen tanks to Delhi. The government is required to take a step on that. 

SGI at this juncture submitted that Disciplinary Action would be taken against the officials who obstructed the supply & requested the hearing to be adjourned for some time till he took instructions. 

The hearing would resume again in some time.