Biomedical waste dumped without segregation: Audit

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 13

In total disregard of the Municipal Act-2000, municipal committees in Jammu and Kashmir continue to dump biomedical waste generated by sub-district hospitals and pathological laboratories without segregation. This has been revealed by the Accountant General’’s audit of the urban local bodies.

The audit says that the biomedical wastes produced by sub-district hospitals, clinics and pathological laboratories within the municipal limits of Rajouri, Sunderbani, Bishnah, Khansahib (Budgam), Handwara and Bandipora were being collected and lifted by the municipal committees along with normal solid waste of the towns and disposed of at dumping sites against the provisions of the biomedical waste rules.

“The practice has the risk of adversely affecting human health and environment and could result in a major health hazard due to the adverse impact of the infective, radioactive and chemical material in the biomedical wastes,” the report says.

As per the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules-2000, the biomedical wastes and industrial wastes should not be mixed with municipal solid wastes and should be dumped separately.

Every hospital and industrial unit is required to set up a waste treatment facility such as an incinerator, autoclave, microwave system for the treatment of biomedical waste but the rules are being ignored.

The Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, also envisage proper collection, treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes at authorised places.

Under the Municipal Act, transportation of solid wastes is to be done through specially designed transport system, which should be covered to prevent littering. However, in 13 urban local bodies, the audit has found that there are no specially designed vehicles and dumper for carriage of waste in covered vehicles. There are also instances of waste being transported in uncovered vehicles.

Rules flouted

The Accountant General’’s audit says that the biomedical wastes produced by sub-district hospitals, clinics and pathological laboratories within the municipal limits of Rajouri, Sunderbani, Bishnah, Khansahib (Budgam), Handwara and Bandipora were being collected and lifted by the municipal committees along with normal solid waste of the towns and disposed of at dumping sites against the provisions of the biomedical waste rules.