On a day that saw 12 patients, including a doctor, dying of shortage of oxygen at a city hospital, the Delhi High Court warned the Centre of initiating contempt proceedings against its officers for failing to fulfil the 490 tonnes oxygen requirement for the Capital.

Ensuring supplies

“Enough is enough,” said a division bench comprising justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli, adding, “much water has gone above the head.”

“We direct the Centre to ensure that the NCT of Delhi receives its allocated supply of 490 tonnes positively today by whatever means.

Given that Delhi is not an industrial State and does not have availability of cryogenic tankers of its own, which could be requisitioned under the Disaster Management Act like other states have done, it falls upon the Centres to arrange the tankers as well, so that the allocation made to Delhi could be fulfilled, lest it remains only a paper allocation. The Centre shall ensure availability of cryogenic tankers as well for the said supply,” the bench said.

The judges observed that the oxygen allocation of 490 tonnes has not been fulfilled for Delhi “even for a single day”.

The Bench said that it will consider initiating contempt proceedings in case of non-compliance.

This direction came following a statement made by Batra Hospital that oxygen supply was interrupted for an hour and a half which led to the loss of 12 lives, including that of a doctor of the hospital.

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