Authorities say there is uneven distribution of oxygen and they needed to step in to address shortage in a coordinated way. Police have also stepped in.

Over the past months, conflicting narratives have emerged on what went wrong in the Health Ministry that left the country without vaccines, as virus crisis deepens.

Suppliers say almost all the oxygen concentrators in the Nepali market have been sold out causing an acute shortage of equipment.

Some of the cylinders could arrive as early as next week, Health Ministry says.

The 2021 decennial census was to be the most comprehensive census ever.

Government has asked domestic and foreign NGOs to divert 5 to 20 percent for pandemic relief depending on the size of their budget.

Households with chronically ill and Covi-19 patients in home isolation are holding on to oxygen tanks over shortage fears.

Construction projects held up as pandemic disrupts labour supply and delivery of equipment, contractors say.

Some manufacturers fear slump in market demand for oxygen after the pandemic is over.

Manufacturers say they have agreed, in principle, to halt supply to industries to ensure that oxygen could be sent to hospitals treating Covid-19 patients.

Delivery of vaccines from India remains uncertain. Officials say funding is no issue but are hesitating to go for Chinese and Russian vaccines because of their high prices.

Top court is silent on the fate of those already convicted on the basis of sting operations.

Manufacturers say production is sufficient at present but supply could be affected if hospitals start hoarding oxygen. To increase capacity, more cylinders need to be imported.

Authorities must devise strategies to contain the spread without imposing blanket restrictions as such curbs can severely impact the economy and the people, analysts say.

The bench says such an act is against the constitutional and legal provisions and the principle of criminal justice.