At least three major Indian cities have witnessed a rise in the demand for oxygen cylinders in the wake of a spike in the incidence of Covid-19. They are: Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai.

An Economic Times report says that the demand for oxygen cylinders and oxygen concentrators has ratcheted up suddenly. "This has not only led to a shortage in the market but also an increase in prices," the report quotes a trade organization leader as saying.

The implications on the pocket are deep. "If a 10-litre oxygen cylinder unit with complete rotameter regulator mask was available in the market for Rs 6,500 at the beginning of the pandemic, it is not available even at Rs 8,000 now," the ET report adds.

There is no respite unless state governments set up field hospitals, like in stadiums. Only the upper-middle-class folks can afford this kind of stocking up. It leaves more than 80% of urban India in the lurch.