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Supply 490 MT allocated oxygen to Delhi or face contempt: HC warns Centre

'Much water has gone above head. Now we mean business. Enough is enough,' a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli asserted while declining the Centre's request to defer the order till Monday.

Published: 01st May 2021 04:02 PM  |   Last Updated: 02nd May 2021 09:16 AM   |  A+A A-

Oxygen Cylinders

Representational Image. (Photo | PTI)

By Kanu Sarda
Express News Service

NEW DELHI: In a stern warning to the Centre, Delhi High Court on Saturday asked it to give Delhi their full quota of medical oxygen by whatever means.

"Water has gone above the head. You have to arrange everything now. You have made the allocations. You have to fulfil it. Eight lives have been lost. We can’t shut our eyes to it," a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said, while referring to loss of lives at Batra Hospital after oxygen supply stopped for 80 minutes.

"We direct the Centre to ensure that Delhi receives its 490 tonnes (of medical oxygen) today by whatever means. It falls on the Centre to arrange tankers as well. The allocation was made on April 20 and not even one day Delhi has received its allocated supply. If this is not implemented, we may even consider initiating contempt proceedings," the court said.

Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, appearing for the Delhi government, stated that while Delhi’s demand was 700MT, allocated oxygen was 490MT, out of which the suppliers had made a voluntary commitment of supply of 445MT.

The quantity on Delhi border, for Saturday, was 312 MT only, Mehra informed the court as he submitted that this was a deficit of over 100 MT. 

"Enough is enough. No one is asking for more than allocated. If you can’t supply the allocation today, we will see your explanation on Monday," the court said while refusing to give Centre time to explain the crisis.

The court also directed data with respect to daily COVID19 admissions and discharges from all hospitals in Delhi, whether government or private, starting April 1.

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