Deadlines set to treat bio-medical waste
By Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 25 — The Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) has advised all nursing homes and other local institutes to take steps to treat bio-medical waste generated by them as prescribed under the Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) rules framed by the Ministry of Environment last year.

The ministry has fixed different deadlines for different institutes for introducing waste treatment facilities like incinerators, autoclaves and microwave systems, after the expiry of which the violators would be liable to be prosecuted. It has also asked the implementing authorities, which in case of the Union Territory of Chandigarh is the CPCC, to motivate the bio-medical generating units to make arrangements for treatment of hazardous bio-medical waste.

As per the schedule, hospitals and nursing homes in towns with population of 30 lakh and above have to install treatment plants by December 31, while such institutes with 500 beds and above running in cities with less than 30 lakhs population will have to introduce such facilities by December 31. The hospitals and nursing homes having a capacity of beds between 200 and 500 are bound to install treatment plants by December 31, 2000, and those with 50 beds and above, but less than 200 beds by December 31, 2001. The remaining institutes generating bio-medical waste have to comply with the norms by December 31, 2002.

The CPCC started ground work by organising a meeting of parties concerned at the initiative of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) here last week. The meeting was attended by the Commissioner of the local Municipal Corporation, the Director Environment, the Director Health, representatives of PGI, members of the Chandigarh Nursing Homes Association and was chaired by Dr A.B Akolkar, Senior Scientist of the CPCB, who visited the city to take stock of the situation.

According to sources in the CPCC, while the PGI has already been treating the waste with its incinerator and the Sector 16 Government Hospital is in the process of installing one, the members of the nursing homes association, though keen to implement the fresh rules, expressed reservations due to the exorbitant cost of waste management exercise at individual level.

They, however, assured the CPCC that they were contemplating to either pool their resources to create a waste management plant or to use the spare capacity of plants of other institutes such as PGI on payment basis.

The incinerator of the PGI, according to sources, is used for four to five hours a day and, if permitted, could be of use to private hospitals.

On the other hand, the UT Administration has constituted an Advisory Committee, mandatory under the rules, to advise about matters related to the implementation of the rules, with Secretary Environment as its Chairman. The other members include Secretary Health, Commissioner MC, Director Environment as Member Secretary, Director Health Services and others.

Meanwhile, a study by the CPCC has foreseen a considerable hike in the daily quantum of bio-medical waste during 2000 as compared to 1997. The study reveals that the PGI, which is currently generating 3513 kg of waste, would generate 4725 kg in 2000, while the quantity generated by Government Hospital, Sector 16, will increase from 1225 kg to 1312.5 kg and from 1050 kg to 1225 kg. The quantity of medical waste generated by city nursing homes and clinics will rise from 157.5 kg to 195 kg a day.

Rickshaw bylaws not enforced
By Amarjit Thind
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 25 — The administration has done little to implement the rickshaw bylaws in the city. The laxity can be gauged from the fact that only 1,432 persons applied for licences out of an estimated 20,000 rickshaw-pullers and rickshaw-owners in Chandigarh, though the deadline for getting the document expired on October 15, last year.

The laws say that rickshaw-pullers who do not comply with the bylaws (every rickshaw has to carry number plates and registration number) will be challaned and their rickshaws impounded. Fines for various violations vary from Rs 200 to Rs 500.

The laws were framed to regulate the number of rickshaws plying in the city, besides acting as a means for the police to verify the antecedents of migrants. This will also help reduce the number of accidents as every rickshaw-puller will have to undergo a test before the license was issued to him.

The laws also define areas where the plying of rickshaws is restricted. For example, rickshaws will be banned on the major roads and roads which divide a sector into four parts.

The laws were also an attempt to break the cartel of rickshaw-owners in the city who between them, own more then 90 per cent of the rickshaws in the city. The cartel, at present, rents out rickshaws to migrants on nominal sums, thereby providing ready employment to a large number of persons. However, little care is taken to ensure that the person taking the rickshaw for a day is aware of traffic rules.

The response to a drive to educate rickshaw-pullers in November was lukewarm. Only a few persons turned up to get the basic training at the traffic police centre in Sector 23.

Due to this, rickshawpullers do not have identifications or number plates. It is impossible to register a complaint against them with the authorities if they indulge in any criminal activity. Licences will also carry the personal details of the person which will make the job of the police and passenger easier in case there is any complaint.

This assumes importance as the police is looking for certain rickshaw-pullers who were reportedly involved in the murder of a Delhi-based businessman some days ago.

Sources said there were no plans to implement the bylaws as certain modalities had to be worked out. Challan books have not been prepared as yet and issued to the police. As per rules, an officer of the rank of an ASI can challan and impound a rickshaw. As per norms, it is mandatory that rate lists be displayed on rickshaws for the benefit of passengers.

The growing number of rickshaws in the city poses another problem of encroachment in corridors of various markets. Numerous complaints of such encroachers creating unhygienic conditions by market and sector-level committees to the administration have been in vain.

The recent drive of the police to arrest rickshaw-pullers (400 were picked up in a day) who do not get themselves registered ran into rough weather as certain political parties came to their rescue. It even forced a senior official to comment that if they were so concerned, they could take all such persons to their homes.

The police said that it would continue the drive.

Leaders vow welfare steps
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 25 — The 24-year-old D.P.S. Randhawa hails from Gurdaspur district. He became the President of SOPU in 1998, when the organisation was floated a fortnight before the poll. He owes his victory for the second consecutive year to the hard work, sincere efforts and commitment of each and every member of the SOPU family, besides the support of the ABVP and HSU. "It is a students' victory and my confidence in them has increased manifold,'' he said immediately after the results were announced. His agenda includes the establishment of Dean Placement Cell; more power to the Students Council; revision of the syllabus of professional courses; developing a separate cultural zone on the campus and revival of the Film Society and early declaration of results, including re-evaluation.

Samriti Sharma: The 20-year-old Samriti, a product of MCM DAV College for Women, Sector 36, is doing her BE in chemical engineering and technology. "We shall strive to promote cultural activities and thereby channelise the energies of the youth in the right direction,'' she says. "We will also look into the problems of the hostelers and science students and check hooliganism on the campus," she adds.

Parneet Grewal: Parneet, a product of Yadavindra Public School, Patiala, has been the school captain and hockey captain. He attributes his success to the confidence of the students in the agenda and achievements. "We will fight for students' welfare and fulfill all their demands,'' he asserts.

Davesh Moudgil: Davesh is a firm believer of "Leadership is action and not just a position.'' Hence, he will make himself available to attend to the problems of the students all through the day. "I am now a representative of the student community as a whole and not just a party, hence I will try and come up to their expectations,'' he says.

From theatre to veejaying
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 25 — "I am an actor first, and am essentially a presenter today and not just a veejay", said Yudhistar, a Channel V veejay, who was in the city today. According to the company spokesman, Sunil Kalra, the city has been shortlisted as one of the seven cities where the channel would hold "blasts, as countdown to the millennium". The channel today evening held a dance party at a hotel in Sector 17 as part of this series.

In an exclusive interview with Tribune News Service, Yudhistar, who hails from Bangalore, said that he "stumbled upon theatre and compering and voice-overs". He said he was busy anchoring two programmes on the channel — one a whacky interactive show that dares viewers to do crazy things on the screen, and another which profiles different professions with interviews and features on leading professionals.

Claiming that he does not conform to the "pink-pajama, long hair and loud variety of veejay", Yudhistar, who has done a film appreciation course maintained that "I do not rule out the possibility of going into Hindi films, as the kind of meaningful films being made today is fantastic". For somebody who had been busy acting in musicals on stage and the production of a film titled 'Tea', it does not come as a surprise when he says: "What I am doing is acting, and not just the 'yo-yo' kind of things on television".

About the City Beautiful he said: "This is the first time that I am visiting this city, because I was told that this place is quite a happening place. In fact it looks quite like Bangalore to me. I love the way it is planned and the short distances from one place to another".