Allow use of all oxygen produced within: Karnataka tells Centre

Bengaluru, 06 May 2021 [Fik/News Sources]: In an attempt to address the urgent need to augment oxygen supplies, especially after the deaths of Covid-19 patients in some districts due to its shortage, Karnataka on Wednesday approached the Centre requesting that it be allowed to use all of the oxygen produced within the state. 

Large and Medium-scale Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar, who has been given charge of oxygen augmentation, supply and procurement, said, “The state has increased its oxygen production, but it is sent to other states as well. The Central Government has provided oxygen supplies to Karnataka from other states, but the supply is long overdue. I have consulted Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Pralhad Joshi to reduce the quantum of oxygen being shipped out to other states and to allow its use within Karnataka,” he said.

As per the increased medical oxygen production capacities in Karnataka after the second wave hit hard, 14 industries produce a total of 1,767 tons of oxygen per day of which 865 tons is allocated to Karnataka. About 140 tons of medical oxygen produced in Karnataka is sent to other states. Shettar has asked for this oxygen also to be used locally, given the Covid-19 caseload. The State Government has also asked all industries to reduce steel production and increase oxygen production.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Siddaramaiah, too demanded that the Centre allow the state to utilise all the oxygen produced within. “Oxygen allocated to the state does not meet even 50 per cent of the demand. The Union Government has to allocate oxygen depending on the  demand in the state. People are dying due to oxygen shortage. The Chamarajanagar hospital, where 24 people died, requires 350 cylinders of medical oxygen every day. But, on the day of the incident, only 120 cylinders were supplied. It takes 48 hours for oxygen to reach Karnataka from Odisha. The government should allow the state to consume all of the oxygen that is produced here,” he insisted. 

Meanwhile, the Union Government has sent two liquid medical oxygen containers to Karnataka, with a capacity of 20 metric tons each, which arrived from Bahrain. The Centre has also assured of supplying two more tankers from Indian Oil Corporation. These tankers will be used for quicker augmentation of oxygen stocks across the state. Considering the shortage in the State, Karnataka has also sent containers to Odisha for refilling. “Five empty containers have been airlifted to Odisha through IAF flights which will pick up about 74 MT of oxygen and reach Karnataka by road in a day or two,” said Chief Minister Yediyurappa, while thanking PM Narendra Modi.According to Shettar, there are currently 170 oxygen transport tankers in the state. Of these, 68 are being supplied to other states