The bench was hearing a petition filed by the Central government against the show-cause notice issued by the Delhi High Court for contempt action for failing to supply 700 MT of oxygen per day to the national capital in terms of the Court orders.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court praised Mumbai’s response to the spread of Covid-19 and ensuring oxygen supply to COVID patients in Mumbai suggesting that the Mumbai model be replicated in Delhi.
The bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that Mumbai managed with 275 MT of oxygen even when the active cases crossed 92,000.
“I do applaud the Mumbai model. It is not a political model. As an officer of the court, not for the Centre or a state, we need to find a solution. People cannot run from pillar to post. This is not to undermine the efforts of Delhi,” Tushar Mehta said.
Justice Chandrachud said, Bombay Municipal Corporation has done some remarkable work and, not disrespecting Delhi, but we can maybe see what was done by BMC.
He also requested that the Centre and the Delhi government’s Health Secretary draw on the expertise of BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal in order to construct oxygen storage tanks in the national capital.
“If this can be done in Mumbai, which is an incredibly congested city, then it can be done in Delhi as well,” the Court said.
The Supreme Court also asked the Centre to maintain transparency on the ongoing oxygen crisis in Delhi and keep citizens informed
