TN CM Palaniswami Writes To PM Modi Requesting To Cancel Diversion Of 80 MTs of Oxygen Amid Surging Covid Cases

"While Tamil Nadu has never imposed any restrictions so far and is always ready to support other States, such mandatory diversion of liquid oxygen from the needs of our State can lead to major crisis in Chennai and other districts," Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami wrote to PM Modi.

Palaniswami (File Photo)

New Delhi: On Sunday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami wrote to Prime Minister Modi expressing his concern about the Oxygen shortage in the state amid the rising demand in the active cases. He requested PM Modi to immediately cancel the diversion of 80 MTs of oxygen to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Tamil Nadu is expecting a further surge in has a requirement of 450 metric tonnes of Oxygen which is above the state's production capacity of 400 MTs. 

In the letter to PM Modi he said that 80 metric tonnes of liquid oxygen has been diverted to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and this should be halted in view of increase in oxygen demand. 

“As compared to the maximum case number of around 58,000 during the previous surge in 2020, the active caseload has already increased to over a lakh today. This has increased the oxygen demand…”, the letter read. 

He called the National Medical Oxygen Allotment a wrong move and that the state has been wrongly allotted lesser quota despite high number of active cases. "The consumption of oxygen in Tamil Nadu has already reached 310 MTs as against the inadequate allotment made to the state of only 220 MTs," he said referring to data published by Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisations.

In the letter he further continued, "The latest National Medical Oxygen allotment plan allocation for Tamil Nadu has been fixed at 220 MTs and based on the wrong allotment, 80 MTs of liquid oxygen has been diverted from the manufacturing facilities located in Sriperumpudur to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This is based on the wrong position that the existing oxygen consumption in Tamil Nadu is lower than the manufacturing capacity".

"Also the states to which the allotment has been made have lower number of active cases than us also have major steel industries located within the states/close to their states. Hence the diversion from Sriperumpudur plant which supplies to Chennai city with the second biggest caseload in South India seems to have no justification," he added.

Highlighting that the state hasn't imposed any such restrictions before he said that such mandatory diversion of liquid oxygen from the state "can lead to major crisis" in Chennai and other districts.

"Hence, I request that diversion of 80 KL (Kilo Litres) from Sriperumbudur plant, in Tamil Nadu may immediately be cancelled," he wrote.