Biomedical waste piles up at PGI

Mohit Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 2

It would not be an exaggeration to state that the PGI, Chandigarh, a premier medical institute of northern India, is sitting on a ticking time bomb due to piling biomedical waste.

While the plastic waste is being lifted, highly hazardous biomedical waste is still lying untouched at the dump yard in the PGI. Moreover, no measures have been taken to curtail the breeding of pests.

A man, who was supervising the loading of plastic material, said currently only the plastic waste was being taken to Sangrur in Punjab for processing. The workers, who were unloading biomedical waste, were not wearing protective suites. The place was stinking and flies were hovering all around it.

“In the peak summer season and during monsoon, the biomedical waste dump turns into a hell. The foul smell emitting from it proved a health hazard for people living in the vicinity,” said nearby residents.

Employees sent to judicial custody

In the meantime, the PGI contractual employees, who were caught selling biomedical waste, were presented before a court, which sent them to judicial custody. Interestingly, the PGI authorities did not ask the police to find out the person who was purchasing the waste. The accused were also not questioned for how long they were selling the biomedical waste.

Both the accused, identified as Karan and Gaurav, are residents of Nayagaon, a den for biomedical waste traders. Pollution control teams have raided the place on various occasions but failed to check the trade.

It is the second incident when contractual employees were caught stealing biomedical waste. Three contractual employees were caught selling biomedical waste.

It was PGI Sanitary Inspector Sunil Kumar, who spotted Gaurav and Karan Kumar stealing biomedical waste.

Both were working in the PGI for over two years. Eight bags of biomedical waste, a majority of whoci contained glucose bottles, were recovered from them.

PGI stand

As per the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, no occupier shall establish on-sight treatment and disposal facility, if a common biomedical waste facility is available at a distance of 75 km. In Chandigarh, there is only one facility available, which is not fully functional.

To dispose of biomedical waste in accordance with new rules, a letter was written to the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee to give permission and NOC for disposing of the biomedical waste in Punjab.

The permission was granted by the CPCC. Similarly, a letter was written to the Punjab State Pollution Control Board to give permission and NOC to dispose of biomedical waste near Mohali.

No communication has been received from the board so far. Now, a similar letter has been written to the CPCC to grant permission and NOC for disposing of biomedical waste at the common waste facility in Panchkula/ Ambala.