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Oxygen demand up by 67%, 22 states seek help now compared to 12 states 10 days ago

This oxygen shortage has led to over 20 patients dying within hours at Delhi’s Jaipur Golden Hospital Friday. Similarly, six patients died in Amritsar after a private hospital could not procure oxygen.

Published

5 years ago

April 29, 2021

The demand for medical oxygen has increased 67 per cent in nine days to April 24, shows data collated from oxygen allocation orders issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The allocation data shows that the demand has spread from 12 states on April 15 to 22 states on April 24.

What has led to the oxygen shortage?

In the past few weeks, news and social media have been flooded with photographs of Covid patients gasping for air as the country faces an acute shortage of medical oxygen. The worsening second wave of the pandemic has overwhelmed health infrastructures in most states, with hospitals unable to arrange adequate oxygen supply for the mounting case numbers.

This shortage has led to over 20 patients dying within hours at Delhi’s Jaipur Golden Hospital Friday. Similarly, six patients died in Amritsar after a private hospital could not procure oxygen. Families of deceased patients in Uttar Pradesh have also alleged that several of these occurred due to a lack of oxygen.

What has been said in letters to the state health officials?

Earlier on April 15, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had written to the Additional Secretaries/ Principal Secretaries/Secretaries (Health) of 12 states informing them about oxygen allocation against their demand for the week beginning April 20.

The states were Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. These states had cumulatively demanded 4,880 metric tonnes of medical oxygen for the week beginning April 20, and allocations were accordingly made.

After 10 days, Nipun Vinayak, Joint Secretary, MoH&FW had written another letter to state health officials on April 24 and informed them about allocation against their demand for oxygen from April 25 onwards. This time the number of states looking for oxygen allocation from the Centre has risen to 22; their combined demand had also risen to 8,172 MT a day, 67% higher than the combined demand shown in the Health Secretary’s April 15 letter.

Vinayak’s letter shows that the Centre had allocated 8,280 MT medical oxygen a day to these 22 states. The new states demanding oxygen are Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, J&K, Goa, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Dadra and Nagar Haveli Daman and Diu.

What are the maximum and minimum oxygen allocations for states?

The top five states with the highest demand for medical oxygen for the week starting April 25 are Maharashtra (1,784 MT/day), Gujarat (1,000), Karnataka (770), Uttar Pradesh (657) and Madhya Pradesh (640).

The states, which have got higher oxygen allocation are: Uttar Pradesh (857 MT/day), Karnataka (802 MT/day), Delhi (490 MT/day) and Madhya Pradesh (649 MT/day).

The states, which have been provided oxygen less than what they demanded are: Haryana (allocation of 162 MT/day against demand of 180), Gujarat (975 MT/day against demand of 1,000), Punjab (137 MT/day against demand of 187) and Tamil Nadu (280 MT/day against demand of 220).

What the Union government has said in its affidavit?

Forecasting the requirement of medical oxygen by April 30 in its affidavit, the Union government said Maharashtra would require 2,000 tonnes (as against 1,500 tonnes on April 20), Gujarat 1,200 MT (1,000 MT), Uttar Pradesh 800 MT (400 MT), Madhya Pradesh 700 MT (445 MT), Delhi 445 MT (300 MT), Chhattisgarh 382 MT (215 MT) and Tamil Nadu 465 MT (200 MT). On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was informed during a review meeting that production has increased from 5,700 MT per day in August 2020 to 8,922 MT on April 25 this year.

Related Topics:oxygen allocation state government Union Health Ministry

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Asish Banerjee found dead in Rampurhat, Mamata Banerjee aide’s death shocks TMC

Former West Bengal deputy speaker and five-time Rampurhat MLA Asish Banerjee was found dead at a Trinamool Congress office in Birbhum.

Published

5 hours ago

August 16, 2026

APNLive Desk

Former West Bengal Assembly deputy speaker and Trinamool Congress leader Asish Banerjee was found dead at a party office next to his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum district, on Sunday morning.

Police said his body was found hanging and was sent for postmortem. A large crowd gathered outside the Trinamool Congress office after news of his death spread.

Who was Asish Banerjee?

Asish Banerjee had served as the deputy speaker of the West Bengal Assembly when Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was the state’s chief minister. He was also a five-time MLA from Rampurhat.

He had served as Bengal’s education and agriculture minister after Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress first came to power in the state.

Banerjee contested the West Bengal Assembly election earlier this year but lost the Rampurhat seat to BJP’s Dhruba Saha.

Asish Banerjee’s recent party role

Banerjee stepped down as chairman of the Trinamool Congress’s Birbhum district core committee in June. At the time, he said he would continue as a general member of the party.

He lived in the Hattalapara neighbourhood of Rampurhat, with the party office where his body was found located next to his house.

BJP gains in Birbhum

The BJP won six of the 11 Assembly constituencies in Birbhum in the latest state election. This marked a significant change from 2021, when the Trinamool Congress had won 10 seats in the district while the BJP had secured one.

Police have sent Asish Banerjee’s body for postmortem as the circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated.

India News

IPS Officer Nupur Prasad gets Medal for Meritorious Service after Sushant Singh Rajput probe

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been selected for the Medal for Meritorious Service this year.

Published

1 day ago

August 15, 2026

APNLive Desk

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been recognised with the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) this year.

A 2007-batch AGMUT cadre officer, Ms Prasad recently returned to the Delhi Police after completing her tenure with the CBI. She is currently serving as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), where she oversees investigations involving financial and economic crimes.

The award is part of this year’s recognition for police personnel for distinguished and meritorious service. Such honours recognise contributions in areas including investigation, crime prevention, public service, law and order and administration.

Nupur Prasad’s role in Sushant Singh Rajput case

Ms Prasad came into national focus during the CBI investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14, 2020.

The case was transferred to the CBI in August 2020 following a complaint by the actor’s family and a legal dispute over jurisdiction.

During her tenure with the agency, Ms Prasad supervised key aspects of the investigation, including the examination of witness statements, forensic evidence and medical records.

In 2025, the CBI filed closure reports, saying its investigation found no evidence of foul play, abetment to suicide or criminal conspiracy in the actor’s death.

Career across Delhi Police, CBI

Ms Prasad has served in several positions during her career, including assignments in the Delhi Police, CBI, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal.

Before joining the CBI, she held senior positions in the Delhi Police and became the first Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Shahdara. During her tenure, she worked on establishing the district’s policing framework following its creation.

She also led operations targeting drug networks and illegal gambling activities while focusing on crime-prevention measures.

Later, as DCP of North Delhi, she oversaw security arrangements for major events, including Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort and Delhi University elections.

Community-focused policing initiatives

Beyond investigations, Ms Prasad has been associated with community-focused programmes involving women’s self-defence, youth development, cyber safety and drug de-addiction.

During her CBI tenure, she was also associated with several prominent investigations. Media reports have linked her to cases concerning businessman Vijay Mallya and the AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

Current role in Delhi Police

After completing her assignment with the CBI, Ms Prasad returned to the Delhi Police and took charge as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing.

The latest recognition adds to her career spanning investigations, policing and public service across several challenging assignments.

India News

Kharge, Rahul Gandhi skip Independence Day event for 2nd straight year

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Published

1 day ago

August 15, 2026

APNLive Desk

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the historic venue on Saturday.

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders comes amid strained relations between the ruling party and the Opposition, which further deteriorated during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that concluded on Thursday.

2024 seating controversy

Rahul Gandhi had attended the Independence Day celebrations in 2024 but his seating arrangement triggered a controversy. The Congress leader, who holds the status of a Cabinet minister as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was seated in the second-last row during the ceremony at the Red Fort.

The Opposition had criticised the seating arrangement, calling it an insult to the people. The Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the arrangement had been modified to accommodate Olympians at the venue.

According to protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events.

Opposition-ruling party tensions

Relations between the government and the Opposition remained tense during the Monsoon Session, which ended on Thursday.

The session saw repeated clashes between the two sides, with both the Opposition and the ruling party blaming each other for the low productivity of Parliament.

The session began on July 20, with students marching towards Parliament on the first day. Twelve bills were passed during the session, while detailed discussion took place on only one legislation, concerning paper leaks.

The Congress, along with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, also boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned sine die.