E-Paper
HC tells Centre to augment oxygen supply to Tamil Nadu
The Madras high court on Monday said it was necessary to take urgent measures to augment oxygen supply to Tamil Nadu and think of an alternate plan amid a sharp rise in demand of the life-saving gas
The Madras high court on Monday said it was necessary to take urgent measures to augment oxygen supply to Tamil Nadu and think of an alternate plan amid a sharp rise in demand of the life-saving gas.
The bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy made the observations in the suo motu plea taken up by the court to monitor the second wave preparedness in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
The court observed that until a national task force is formed, as ordered by the Supreme Court on May 6, it is the Union’s responsibility to ensure continuous supply of oxygen and drugs to states and union territories. The court also asked Additional Solicitor General (R Sankaranarayanan) to take up the issue with the Centre.
During the hearing, newly-appointed state advocate general R Shunmughasundaram submitted that Tamil Nadu’s demand about a week ago was for 475 MT of oxygen on a daily basis. On May 8, the Centre allocated daily quota of 419 MT. This includes 40 MT supply from Palakkad in Kerala till May 12.
But the state’s assessment is that the demand for oxygen will rise to 800 MT “within the next few days”, the court noted. The court also took note of media reports that local residents stopped vehicles carrying oxygen from Palakkad towards Coimbatore and the neighbouring areas in view of the perceived shortage of supply in Kerala. “The State and the Centre should find ways of effective supply to the south-western region of the state since supply from Sriperumbudur or elsewhere in north or central Tamil Nadu may be logistically difficult and at any rate, less efficient than ensuring supply from neighbouring Palakkad which is about 40 km away,” the court said.
It was also submitted to the court that the Sterlite facility in Thoothukudi district which was allowed to by the Supreme Court to re-open for the sole purpose of producing oxygen may begin production this week with an anticipated 40 MT per day as initial supply.
With the present allocation and rising demand, the court said that it was necessary to think of a plan B and explore options such as oxygen generators being set up by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at short notice.
As experts warned of a third wave, the court said, “It is necessary to be over-prepared and not require the resources being put to use rather than being unprepared and rue for not having garnered additional resources. The objective of the exercise is to prepare for the worst and hope that the worst does not hit us.”
The bench, however, observed that given the lockdown in Tamil Nadu from May 10-24, will lead to tapering of cases.
It also noted that given a new government formed in the state, most key officials have been transferred except health secretary J Radhakrishnan, to ensure continuing measures to fight the pandemic.
The court said that though the state has augmented bed availability, “both Tamil Nadu and Puducherry seem to be crying out for the requisite supply of drugs and vaccines.”
Due to lack of doses, the state hasn’t rolled out vaccination for the 18-45 age group. “Learned ASG has assured to take up the case of both the State and the Union Territory with the Centre, at least till such time that the National Task Force set up by the Supreme Court order gets down to the nitty-gritties of allocation and the like,” the court said in its orders.
“It is necessary that immediate urgent measures be taken, both to augment the supply of oxygen in the state and of vaccines and drugs to both the state and the Union Territory.”
