New Delhi:A day after banning the use of liquid oxygen for non-medical purposes, the government on Monday allowed three sectors -- ampules and vials, pharmaceutical and defence forces -- to use the commodity.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla had on Sunday imposed a ban on the use of liquid oxygen for non-medical purposes, amid a scarcity of medical oxygen in many parts of the country, particularly in Delhi, that has been hit by a fresh wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
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In a letter to states and Union Territories on Monday, Bhalla said that three sectors -- ampules and vials; pharmaceutical and defence forces -- have now been exempted from the ban order.
The Central government has taken several steps to deal with the medical oxygen crisis in some parts of the country due to the increasing demand as the second wave of coronavirus engulfed several states.