‘Water above head now’: HC directs Centre to ensure Delhi gets 490MT oxygen today ‘by whatever means’

“The water has gone above the head. Enough is enough. You will arrange everything now,” the division bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli told the Centre.

Taking note of eight deaths which took place at Batra Hospital on Saturday on account of shortage of medical oxygen, the Delhi High Court on Saturday said that “water has gone above the head” and directed the Centre to ensure that Delhi receives its allocated supply of 490 MT today by whatever means.

“The water has gone above the head. Enough is enough. You will arrange everything now,” the division bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli told the Centre. The bench said the Centre has made the allocation and it should be fulfilled. “Eight patients have died today due to lack of oxygen,” it said.

The court also said that the national capital is not an industrial state and does not have availability of cryogenic tankers which could be requisitioned under Disaster Management Act like other states. It falls on the central government to arrange the tankers, said the court, adding that not for a single day has Delhi received complete supply.

In case the order is not implemented, the court said the concerned Secretary of the central government ministry will remain present during the next hearing. “Given the situation, we may even consider initiating contempt proceedings in case of non compliance,” said the court.

The Delhi government earlier told the court that the situation pertaining to the supply of oxygen has worsened as there has been no or minimal supply from plants of Linde, INOX and Air Liquide today. The government said it has been receiving SOS calls from the hospitals.

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