To manage glass waste, PGI seeks pollution control panel’s help

Mohit Khanna

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 2

In view of mounting glass waste, the authorities at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) have written to the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) to help them deal with it.

Dr Pankaj Arora, who heads the committee that looks after the biomedical waste, said, “While the biomedical waste is being destroyed in an incinerator, we are facing a problem in disposing of the glass waste, including bottles containing medicines.”

“We have written to the CPCC and sought their permission either to take the waste to a common disposal facility or allow the institute to look for a company that could dispose of the biomedical waste,” said Pankaj Arora.

Recently, the medical institute had awarded a contract to Shiva Plastic, Sangrur, which is the authorised re-cycler for the disposal of treated and shredded plastic waste.

What the law say

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.

PGI’s stance

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

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