New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry on Sunday imposed a total ban on the use of liquid oxygen for non-medical purposes, to deal with the acute shortage of medical oxygen in the country amid the grave COVID crisis.
The Centre also directed states and Union territories to ensure that all manufacturing units must maximize their production to make it available for medical use only with immediate effect until further orders.
“The Central Government has reviewed the oxygen supply situation and has decided that with immediate effect, use of liquid oxygen, including the existing stock, will be allowed for medical purposes only, and that all manufacturing units may be allowed to maximise their production of liquid oxygen, and make it available to the Government, for use for medical purposes only,” Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla said in a statement.
“No exception is allowed to any industry with regard to use of liquid oxygen,” the statement added.
The Centre had exempted nine categories of industries from diverting liquid oxygen for medical use in its previous order. But henceforth, no industry will be an exception.
Earlier on Sunday, the Union government directed major ports to waive all charges for ships carrying oxygen and related equipment. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has asked all major ports to accord highest priority in the berthing sequence to the vessels carrying consignments of medical grade oxygen, oxygen tanks, oxygen bottles, portable oxygen generators and oxygen concentrators.
