Draw From the Mumbai Model of BMC: SC to Centre on Oxygen Crisis

The Supreme Court on Wednesday, 5 May, asked the Centre to take lead from the Bombay Municipal Corporation’s model of managing oxygen supply.

(Photo:Wasim Sarvar/IANS)

The Supreme Court on Wednesday, 5 May, asked the Centre to take lead from the Bombay Municipal Corporation’s model of managing oxygen supply. The apex court asked the Centre to make citizens aware and be transparent of the severity of the ongoing oxygen shortage.

“Draw from the experience of Bombay Municipal Corporation. They have done some remarkable work. Not disrespecting Delhi, but we can maybe see what was done by BMC. Maharashtra is also an oxygen-supply state,” said Justice Chandrachud, as quoted by Live Law.

The top court asked the Centre how much oxygen had been allocated to Delhi in the last three days, to which Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted on behalf of the Centre that they would allocate 500 MT of oxygen to Delhi.

“We had passed orders for 700 metric tonnes. We can review it later. We are answerable to the citizens of Delhi. What is the best way to ensure 700 tonnes to Delhi?”

Justice Chandrachud,

Mehta submitted that the Centre had managed to allocate 585 MT somehow by stretching itself thin. The top court observed that the pandemic in Delhi was at a “very critical stage”.

"We are also in Delhi. We are helpless and have been on phone. We can imagine what citizens are going through,” said Justice Chandrachud, asking the Centre to tell the top court its plan to make 700 MT of Oxygen available daily for Delhi for the next four days by 10.30 am on Thursday, 6 May.

The Supreme Court also stayed the contempt notice issued by the Delhi High Court to the Centre over oxygen supply.

Putting officers in jail or hauling officers for contempt will not bring oxygen, the Supreme Court observed earlier on Wednesday, after the Centre moved the apex court against the Delhi HC's order a day before on the oxygen supply in the national capital in wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

The high court on Tuesday had told the Centre that it had failed to meet its assurance on oxygen supply. The court had questioned the Centre why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against it for violating the order pertaining to the supply of medical oxygen to Delhi.

The court cited the the success of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in managing the the pandemic in Mumbai, and asked the Centre to hold a meeting with municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal to adopt similar measures in Delhi.