Responding to the surge of the COVID19 pandemic, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, ordered States and Union Territories that the use of liquid oxygen is not allowed for any non-medical purpose. Invoking the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the MHA order is to ensure an uninterrupted supply of Medical Oxygen across the country.
The order by the Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla who is the Chairman of the National Executive Committee under the DM Act, 2005 said that 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 maximize their production of liquid oxygen, and make it available to the Government, for use for medical purposes only.
Withdrawing its earlier order issued on April 18, which had the exception of nine industries including pharmaceutical, petroleum, nuclear energy, and steel, MHA prohibits the supply of oxygen for all industrial purposes. In view of the acute shortage of medical oxygen in the country, Union Home Secretary and Chairman National Executive Committee, Ajay Bhalla has written to Chief Secretaries of States and Administrators of Union Territories in this regard.
The decision to limit the use of liquid oxygen to medical purposes only was taken at a review meeting chaired by home minister Amit Shah. For more details on this order, visit https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/MHAOrderDMAct_25042021.pdf
