The number of active COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra is expected to double in the next 15 days, according to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. The state's active caseload will reach 11.9 lakh by April 30, from the current 5.64 lakh, Thackeray said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The letter sent on Wednesday also said the medical oxygen requirement in the state is projected to reach 2,000 metric tonnes per day by April-end from the present consumption of 1,200 MT per day. Citing logistical hurdles in the transportation of liquid medical oxygen from neighbouring states, Thackeray also sought permission under the National Disaster Management Act to airlift oxygen from steel plants in eastern and southern parts of the country.