For Medical Use Only: Centre brings blanket ban on use of liquid oxygen for non medical use

New Delhi: Modifying its earlier order on liquid oxygen, the Central Government has now barred the use of liquid oxygen for any non-medical purpose and asked manufacturing units to maximise its production and make it available to the government for medical use.

With this, the centre has also removed the exemption given to nine categories of industries from diverting liquid oxygen for medical use

The nine industrial sectors that earlier were given exemption include pharmaceuticals, petroleum refineries, steel plants, ampoules and vials, nuclear energy establishments, oxygen cylinder manufacturers, waste water treatment plants, food and water purification and process industries which require uninterrupted running of furnace.

The order by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla came amid a scarcity of medical oxygen in many parts of the country, particularly in Delhi, that have been hit by a fresh wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Exercising the powers conferred under the Disaster Management Act, the union home secretary directed the state and union territory governments to ensure that "use of liquid oxygen is not allowed for any non-medical purpose and all manufacturing units may maximise their production of liquid oxygen, and make it available to the government for use for medical purposes only, with immediate effect and until further orders."