Stick to biomedical waste disposal rules, hospitals told
Vikas Sharma
Tribune News Service
Jammu, September 10
After the National Green Tribunal (NGT) recently directed the state government to file a comprehensive report on the hospitals not complying with biomedical waste rules, the J&K State Pollution Control Board (JKSPCB) has sent notice to all hospitals/nursing homes/clinics, laboratories for immediate compliance of the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016.
Sources said a bench headed by the NGT Chairperson claimed that the earlier report filed by the JKSPCB relating to the collection, transportation and disposal of the biomedical waste by various hospitals was not in accordance with law and its affidavit was inadequate.
It had asked the board to prepare complete and comprehensive report, stating the actions taken against the hospitals in the entire state which were operating without the consent of the board.
The SPCB was also directed to state how many hospitals, including the big ones catering to large number of patients of J&K, were not complying with the biomedical waste rules and what action was taken or proposed to be taken against them.
“The report will also deal with the status of the biomedical waste dumping sites and whether they are adequately prepared for the dumping of the biomedical waste. The tribunal observed that the authorities had not acted properly in dealing with the issue of waste to energy plant,” a source claimed.
Sources said the hospitals which generated more than 100 kl of waste water per day had been classified under the red category activity in the latest classification of the industrial sectors notified by the Central Pollution Control Board.
They added that the hospitals generating less than 100 kI of waste water per day fell in the orange category.
The SPCB has warned all institutions (both government and private), having health care facilities, that non-compliance of the rules will be punishable with imprisonment and fine under the relevant Acts in addition to their closure.
“From now on, all persons who generate/ collect /receive/store/dispose/handle biomedical waste in any form, including hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, dispensaries, veterinary institutions and AYUSH, irrespective of their type and size and their system of medicine, have to apply to the JKSPCB for seeking authorisation,” a SPCB statement said.
