Covid-19: As demand for medical oxygen surged, industries that needed the gas were hit

In September, as the number of Covid-19 cases in India continued to surge, hospitals in various statesbegan to run out of oxygen.

That month, the number of new Covid-19 cases hit an all-time high, accounting for 41.5% of the total coronavirus cases reported in the country since the start of the pandemic. Though the graph has since trended downward, experts have warned that the country needs to be prepared for fresh spikes and more waves of the virus.

As hospitals began to short on oxygen, so did the industrial sector.

Sectors such as steel, glass and pharmaceuticals require industrial oxygen for their production processes. But in September, as the demand for medical oxygen shot up to 3,000 metric tonne per day with the coroanvirus surge, India’s supply of oxygen was diverted for medical use – even as the country’s capacity to produce the gas stayed the same, said Rajeev Gupta of the All India Industrial Gases Manufacturers’ Association.

Before the pandemic struck, India had the capacity to manufacture 6,400 metric tonnes of oxygen daily, according to the health ministry. Out of this, the daily consumption of medical oxygen would normally be less than 1,000 metric tonne.

“Our primary concern was to meet the medical demand,” Gupta said.

The demand for oxygen for industrial purposes is usually...

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