"This Is Like Insurance": High Court On Oxygen Buffer Stock For Delhi

A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh said the status report filed by the Centre does not indicate that buffer stock of LMO is actually created for the use of Delhi and it only talks of enhancement of oxygen storage capacity here.

The Delhi High Court Wednesday said there is no clarity on the steps taken by the Centre for setting up buffer stock of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) in the national capital to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic even as the third wave is anticipated. A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh said the status report filed by the Centre does not indicate that buffer stock of LMO is actually created for the use of Delhi and it only talks of enhancement of oxygen storage capacity here. "Today the situation may look fine but then everyone saw what happened in April-May. There is no escape from this (buffer stock of LMO). This is like insurance," the bench said, adding that it has been flagging this issue ever since the Supreme Court passed an order in April. The Supreme Court had passed an order on April 30 directing the Centre and Delhi government to create appropriate buffer stock of LMO in the national capital and the direction is an obligation cast on both the governments, the bench said.