An SC bench comprising of Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah applauded the BMC for its oxygen management. It asked the authorities in Delhi which is facing a severe oxygen crunch to try to replicate the same and take lessons from BMC.

Mumbai has managed its handling of precious gas extremely well in an efficient, robust, and systematic manner. Despite having a caseload similar to Delhi, it needed only 245MT of oxygen while Delhi required more than three times the amount of 900MT. The less demand for oxygen in Mumbai can be due to more efficient management or a less severe caseload.

Justice Chandrachud said, " Bombay Municipal Corporation is doing some great work, with no disrespect to Delhi. What they are doing, how they are managing. We can learn from them. I also understand that Maharashtra also produces oxygen which Delhi cannot. If this can be done in Mumbai, which is an incredibly congested city, then it can be done in Delhi as well. We want to analyze what was done in a large metropolis like Mumbai and how it can be emulated, as we are answerable to citizens of Delhi. "

The BMC took its lessons from the first wave and realized that oxygen is an essential gas during this pandemic which causes supply issues. The BMC on a war footing replaced the cylinder-based system with a more efficient pipe-based in the major hospitals and jumbo care centers.

The BMC asked private hospitals to sustain their oxygen supply cycle and to keep 20 percent of their supply in reserve, assuring them that they would get supply if needed, which prevented hoarding.

Suresh Kakani, the additional municipal commissioner said, “ If we alert people that there will be a water supply crisis tomorrow, they will begin to stockpile water, exacerbating the problem. Rather, inform them that they must monitor the water supplies and provide specifics. For private hospital oxygen supply, we used the same technique. The BMC also conducted a training session, stressing the importance of reducing reliance on external sources such as oxygen. It also advised doctors to use treatments such as medication and a six-minute walk test to help the patient's ability. ”

This increased the discharge and reduced oxygen requirement helping the already efficient oxygen management.