Petroleum & Explosives Safety Organization (PESO), under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has taken various measures to ensure uninterrupted supply of Oxygen to hospitals and other health care facilities and also to address the problems faced by Petroleum, Explosives, Fireworks, and Industrial Gas Industries due to nationwide lockdown for containment of COVID-19 pandemic. These include:

1. Instructions have been issued by PESO Hq to all its offices to ensure grant of licences for storage and transport of medical oxygen urgently.  

2. Advisory has been issued by PESO on 25.03.2020 to Principal Secretaries (Home) of all States, requesting them to allow uninterrupted transportation and manufacturing of medical oxygen and nitrous oxide in line with MHA order No. 40-3/2020 dated 24/03/2020 on the measures to be taken for containment of COVID-19 in the country.

3. Validity of licenses for transportation of oxygen and other gases which will expire on 31/03/2020, has been extended up to 30/06/2020.

4. Validity of licenses for storage, transportation, sale, use and manufacturing of explosives and fireworks which will expire on 31/03/2020, has been extended up to 30/09/2020. Fee for late renewal of licences will also not be charged.

5. Cylinders used for storage of compressed oxygen, CNG, LPG and other gases, which are due for statutory hydro testing on 31/03/2020, shall be deemed to be due for testing on 30/06/2020.

6. Pressure vessels used for storage and transportation of oxygen, LPG and other gases, which are due for statutory testing for safety relief valves and hydro testing from 15/03/2020 to 30/06/2020, shall be deemed to be due for testing on 30/06/2020.

Licence validity extensions ensure continued medical oxygen supply and defer statutory testing while waiving late renewal fees. PESO directed expedited grant of licences for storage and transport of medical oxygen, issued advisories to permit uninterrupted manufacture and transport of medical oxygen and nitrous oxide, extended validity of licences for storage, transport, sale, use and manufacture of regulated substances with waiver of late renewal fees, and deferred statutory hydrostatic and safety-relief-valve testing deadlines for cylinders and pressure vessels to a common extended due date.