New Delhi: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has written a letter to Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Thursday addressing the issue of the current oxygen crisis in the national capital.
Presenting a summary of the current oxygen supply stock in Delhi, he stated that nearly six hospitals have exhausted their oxygen quota and around 16 hospitals are on the verge of running short of oxygen.
In his letter, he asserted that police and senior officials of administration in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are stalling the tankers carrying oxygen resulting in delaying the tankers to reach Delhi hospitals on time.
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The main reason behind the oxygen shortage crisis in Delhi is the 'jungle raj' by the Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments, said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday, asking the Central government to intervene in the matter.
Addressing a press conference here earlier on Thursday, Sisodia alleged that despite the Centre's increased oxygen allocation to the national capital, government officials and Police of the two states were not allowing the oxygen supply to leave for Delhi.
"The major reason behind Delhi's Oxygen crisis is 'jungle raj' for Oxygen by Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Their government officers and police are not letting supply from their Oxygen plants come to Delhi. Our officers spoke to theirs and I tried to speak to the Centre but things are not changing on the ground," Sisodia said.
He further emphasized that this was not the time to fight but to be united.
"When the Central government yesterday increased Delhi's oxygen allocation and fixed the same for other states too, why are the governments of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh behaving as if they have some dispute with Delhi? This is not the time to fight each other but to be united," he said.
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As of yesterday, before the Centre increased the oxygen quota, Delhi had been allocated 378 MT of oxygen. Out of this, only 177 MT reached Delhi because of the 'dadagiri' of the UP and Haryana Police, Sisodia claimed.
Elaborating on the situation, he said that the day before yesterday the Uttar Pradesh police and state officials had not allowed the delivery of oxygen to Delhi, and yesterday, supply was stopped once again in Haryana.
He appealed to the Central government to intervene in the matter, even if it meant deploying paramilitary forces to travel with the oxygen tankers.
"With folded hands, I appeal to the Central government to intervene in this matter. Since the state police are involved in stopping these oxygen tankers, please intervene even if you need to deploy paramilitary forces," the Centre added.
Over the last few days, the national capital's health infrastructure has started to crack under the weight city's fourth COVID-19 wave.
As many as 24,638 new cases and 249 related deaths were reported in Delhi on Wednesday, the Delhi health department informed.
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There are currently 85,364 active cases in the city, while the death toll stands at a grim 12,887. The fatality rate in Delhi stands at 1.39 per cent. The COVID-19 positivity rate in the city is 31.28 per cent.
(with agency inputs)
