Dipen Agrawal, President, CAMIT

Chamber of Associations of Maharashtra Industry and Trade (CAMIT) has called upon local, state and central disaster management authorities to restore oxygen supply to industries. When the 2nd COVID wave was at its peaks and there was shortage of oxygen for patients, an order was passed prohibiting supply of oxygen for industrial purposes and make it available to the government for use for medical purposes only with immediate effect from 22 April.

Dipen Agrawal, President, CAMIT, said that all oxygen consuming industries instantly responded to the humanitarian call and cooperated with administration by shutting down their oxygen consuming activities to combat the unprecedented 2nd wave of pandemic in the region. Agrawal said that the positivity rate in Nagpur district has now come down to 2.92% and active cases are about 7500, which are now less than daily new cases recorded in peak times.

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Agrawal urged authorities to relax prohibition and restore supply of oxygen to industries. He requested District Magistrate to direct oxygen manufacturers to start industrial supply of oxygen to at least 30% of their production capacity immediately. Agrawal said that this will enable industrial units from the region to resume production and protect the livelihood of migrant labours.

Agrawal added that since medical oxygen requirement is reduced across the country, there is not much off take of it from the manufacturers. It is now getting difficult for manufacturers as storage capacities have exhausted and they have to shut down their production. Many states like Chhatisgarh, Rajasthan, etc., have already ordered supplies of oxygen to industries.

A copy for CAMIT’s official request has been sent to PMO, CMO, Guardian Minister Dr Nitin Raut and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.