Covid19 -Oxygen Shortage: Delhi High Court Hearing-Live Updates

Court: You could also ensure that these trains are prioritized for movement, they don't have to stop.

Court: You could have similar dedicated corridors from East India also.

Addl Sec Railways Manoj Singh joins in: There is a train that has started from Visakhapatnam, another train from Lucknow to Bokaro. We have removed ODC charges as well.

Mehta: And also the population below.

Chaube: The Oxygen Express, started specially by the Railways, is already on its way from Kalambali, carrying oxygen.

Mehta: No, that way every state will try to persuade these players and in every which way.

Court: Mr. Mehta, it will have to be centralized. Also, the best way to transport is through rail.

Mehta: Transport through air can cause fire hazards - destroying aircraft.

Court: I wanted to know on the aspect of mapping.

Mehta: Distribution will have to be at a national level. If they source it directly, there'll be complete chaos.

Mehra: But if some private player, like Mr. Tata, or

@jswsteel

want to donate..

Another officer joins in, Senthil Nathan S.

Nathan: We cannot stop production completely, for reasons explained by Rasika Ma'am.

Court: So the liquid oxygen is a by-product?

Chaube: It is an associate product, if we stop production they will not be able to dispense liquid O2

Chaube (smiles): No, we are equipped to produce gaseous oxygen only.

Court: Have all the private players taken steps required?

Chaube: You'll be happy to know that infact they are the ones who have taken the lead.

Chaube: Since Sept 2020, we have supplied more than 1,00,000 MT of oxygen. When we produce gaseous oxygen only then we give liquid oxygen, so production can't be fully stopped.

Court: So the plant doesn't produce liquid oxygen directly?

Chaube: There is about 16,000 MT in the storage tanks of all steel plants, that has been made available already. We are ready to dip into the safety stock also, which is nearly 20,000 MT. The steel sector is extending all the help it can.

Addl Sec Steel Rasika Chaube joins for oxygen issue: When we reduce the gaseous oxygen production, thereby reducing production of steel then also you can produce liquid oxygen for medical use. But there is a technical capacity for this.