COVID-19: Kejriwal thanks Centre for raising Delhi's oxygen quota
Apr 22, 2021
New Delhi [India], April 22 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday thanked the Centre for raising the national capital's medical oxygen quota.
He further said the Centre has assured Delhi of providing smooth supply of oxygen to hospitals, adding that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has also assured complete support to Delhi in facilitating lifting of Delhi's quota of oxygen from Odisha.
Addressing the media on the prevailing situation in the national capital, Kejriwal said, "Delhi is facing an Oxygen crisis for the past few days. Centre fixes Oxygen quota for all states. As per the Delhi government's estimate, the Union Territory needs 700 tons per day. The Centre had fixed it to 378 tons earlier and increased it to 480 tons yesterday. We need more but we are thankful to them for this."
Since Delhi does not have its own source of oxygen, the capital's supply comes from other states; the Chief Minister alleged that some governments in whose states the Oxygen companies are located had stopped the supply that was to come to Delhi from these companies.
"Centre also allots companies that will supply oxygen to a particular state. Delhi doesn't produce Oxygen, supply here is done by other states...Some of the governments in whose states these companies are had stopped the supply that was to come to Delhi from these companies," he said.
"Governments said that they will use Oxygen in their states first, use Delhi's quota too and that they will not let trucks come to Delhi. But I would like to thank the Centre and Delhi High Court that they helped us a lot in the last two-three days. Due to this, Oxygen has started reaching Delhi," he further said.
The Chief Minister further said, "In our increased quota, Oxygen is scheduled to come from Odisha too. So it will take some time for Oxygen to reach Delhi. We are making an effort if we can bring Oxygen from there by the air route."
"Recd a call from Sh Naveen Patnaik ji. He has assured complete support to Delhi in facilitating lifting of Delhi's quota of oxygen from Odisha. He has put a spl officer on the job. Thank u sooo much Sir. Delhi is indeed grateful," Kejriwal tweeted.
Kejriwal said that they are working round the clock to provide enough medical equipment to the citizen.
Several private and government hospitals in the national capital are running low on medical oxygen for COVID-19 patients.
Delhi recorded 24,638 fresh COVID-19 cases and 249 deaths due to the viral disease on Wednesday while the positivity rate stood at 31.28 per cent, meaning almost every third sample tested positive, amid a growing clamour for oxygen and hospital beds in the city.
