Demand for Oxygen in the Southern States, Odisha and Assam Increases

New Delhi: All India Industrial Gases Manufacturer's Association (AIIGMA) president Saket Tiku said that the demand for oxygen from the states Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Assam has increased as the COVID-19 cases have increased.

Tiku said that the demand for oxygen in the states went from 850 metric tonnes (MT) in March last year, to nearly 3,000 MT in September 2020. "There is now the tonnes sale of nearly 9,000 MT per day. These are approximate figures. But now, there is no shortage, and the demand is being met," he added.

A government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the buffer stock in Kerala has been ramped up in the last two days to ensure enough medical oxygen is available for the state. The allocation is dynamic and it comes in response to which state requires how much medical oxygen in view of the active cases.

AIIGMA stated that the oxygen allocation to Tamil Nadu has gone up from 220 MT in April to 650-700 MT being supplied to the state daily.

According to the government data, in Kerala, the allocation last month was 99 MT, and the daily supply now is around 400 MT. Odisha and Assam, which did not even figure in the medical oxygen supply states, are now consuming nearly 150-160 MT and 90-100 MT.

"Even as the demand was falling in Maharashtra and Delhi, southern states, including Karnataka and Telangana had also asked for greater stocks," the AIIGMA president said.

On Thursday, the cases of the states have reported:

• Kerala: 8,196 cases

• Tamil Nadu: 42,033 cases

• Andhra Pradesh: 22,842 cases

• Odisha: 1,52,824 cases

• Assam: 50,488 cases

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