E-Paper
Manufacturers unhappy with govt’s decision to reserve 80% of oxygen supply for medical use
PUNE A day after the state government issued orders to oxygen manufacturers to reserve 80 per cent of their output for medical purpose in the light of rising Covid-19 cases, various manufacturing units from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad have criticised the decision saying the diktat is unjust
PUNE A day after the state government issued orders to oxygen manufacturers to reserve 80 per cent of their output for medical purpose in the light of rising Covid-19 cases, various manufacturing units from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad have criticised the decision saying the diktat is unjust.
The fabrication units, which require oxygen on a large scale, lamented that the government’s decision to supply only 20 per cent oxygen for industries will adversely affect the production.
According to the new order issued under Disaster Control Act, Disaster Management Act and Maharashtra Essential Services Act, the 80:20 oxygen supply ratio will be effective till June 30, 2021.
“In a normal situation, 80 per cent of oxygen output is used by industries, whereas 20 per cent for medical purpose. But now with the reversal of the ratio, it will have an impact on industries considering oxygen is basic gas which is used in all manufacturing companies,” said Bhushan Sahani, Sahani Gas Industries, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Bhosari.
“As of now, the demand for oxygen for medical purpose is not high like last year (during the first wave). The demand has increased a bit in the last few days,” he said.
The district currently has an oxygen requirement of 135 metric tonnes, which is fulfilled as there is an availability of 370 metric tonnes of oxygen.
“If allocated cylinders for medical purpose as per the 80:20 ratio goes unsold then it will be a loss to the manufacturer as he will not be able to sell the same cylinders to industrialists. We are not against providing cylinders to hospitals, but the 80:20 ratio is harsh,” said one of the manufacturers from Bhosari on the request of anonymity.
Sandeep Belsare, president, Pimpri-Chinchwad small-scale industries association, said, “Last year due to a similar order, rate of oxygen cylinders saw an upward trend and gave rise to black marketing. With this order, the government should also bring out GR that states the rates of oxygen cylinders will not rise.”
Last year, the small scale industries had demanded the government to open a 1,000-tonne oxygen manufacturing plant in Chakan, but the work has still not started.
“Chakan plant could have been a major relief for industrialists. Last year one oxygen cylinder (7 cubic metres) which cost ₹140 rose to ₹1,000. Such things should not happen this time as industrialists have already suffered in the last year. With the situation still not as bad like it was last year, the order could have been issued later,” said Belsare.
The experts from the health sector, meanwhile, have welcomed the move.
“The government order on oxygen is in the right direction as the spread of the second wave is much more rapid than it was during the first wave. The health sector has little time to prepare for the crisis. Only vaccinating people cannot be considered as a preventive step; we should be prepared for the worst,” said Dr Vijay Natarajan, chief executive officer at Symbiosis hospital.
