New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Thursday approached his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray over fears that oxygen supply from the latter’s state would be restricted after his government’s 7 September order.
“I did a complete review of coronavirus today. The issue of lack of oxygen supply was concerning me for a while. I spoke to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and have requested him that during such a crisis, he should not stop the supply,” Chouhan told reporters in Bhopal Thursday.
“He (Uddhav) has assured me that even Maharashtra is facing some problems due to Covid-19 patients but he will still try and ensure that the oxygen supply to Madhya Pradesh hospitals continues.”
Madhya Pradesh’s fears stem from the Maharashtra government’s decision to limit the export of oxygen to other states. In its order dated 7 September, the Maharashtra government directed oxygen production units in the state to ensure that 80 per cent of their production is used only for medical treatment and supplied to hospitals within the state.
According to Chouhan, Maharashtra provides 20 tonnes of oxygen to Madhya Pradesh through a company in Nagpur. “The same company that used to provide it through Nagpur will now provide it through Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh,” he added. “The small plants in Madhya Pradesh were running on lower than their total capacity. They were running on 50-60 per cent and I have requested them to run at full capacity.”
ThePrint reached Maharashtra Principal Secretary, Health, Pradeep Vyas through calls and a text message for a comment, but there was no response. This report will be updated when a reply is received.
There will be no oxygen shortage: Chouhan
Reassuring the people of the state, Chouhan said there will be no shortage of oxygen in the state and alternative arrangements are also being made. He said initially the availability of oxygen in Madhya Pradesh was 50 tonnes, which has now been increased to 120 tonnes and will further be increased to 150 tonne by 20 September.
“There will be no problem in the state,” he said. “Alternatively, there will also be supply of oxygen from Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Small oxygen plants are increasing the capacity of the state. In this way, the treatment of people will not be interrupted from anywhere.”
For the long term, he said, the government has also given permission for a plant with a capacity to produce 200 tonnes of oxygen. “Work on this will start soon and this plant will be functional within six months. We don’t know how long this pandemic will last so we have to be prepared,” the chief minister said.
“The decision of the Uddhav government would have derailed the plans of Madhya Pradesh to increase the beds with oxygen, prompting CM Chouhan to take up the matter with Maharashtra,” a Madhya Pradesh government official said.
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