Effluent treatment plants to come up at all govt hospitals

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, February 10

The UT hospitals, including the Civil Hospitals in Sectors 22, 45 and Mani Majra and Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) south campus in Sector 48, will have own effluent treatment plants in conformation with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines.

Treatment plants are currently coming up at the Government Multi-Speciality Hospital, Sector 16, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32 and Civil Hospital, Sectors 22.

Discharge Highly contaminated

• Water used in patient wards, surgery units, clinical wards, ICU, labs, kitchens, laundries, etc. is highly contaminated
• Effluent treatment plant eliminates suspended solids and organic matter before wastewater is released into environment or reused
• As per CPCB guidelines, treatment plants should be set up at every healthcare facility to treat wastewater generated there

Work on at 3 facilities

We will set up effluent treatment plants in all UT hospitals. Work at GMSH-16, GMCH-32 and Civil Hospital, Sector 22, has started and will be completed soon. —CB Ojha, UT Chief Engineer

Hospital wastewater is highly contaminated owing to its use in various areas, including patient wards, surgery units, clinical wards, ICU, kitchens and laundries, and its composition varies depending on the activities performed.

The main purpose of an effluent treatment plant (ETP) is to eliminate as much suspended solids and organic matter as possible before the wastewater is released into the environment or reused for various hospital purposes.

UT Chief Engineer CB Ojha says: “We will set up effluent treatment plants in all UT hospitals. This is being done to ensure waste from hospitals is treated in these ETPs before being discharged directly into the sewage system. Work at the GMSH-16, GMCH-32 and Civil Hospital, Sector 22, has started and will be completed soon.”

As per the CPCB guidelines, ETPs should be provided at every healthcare facility to treat wastewater generated in order to comply with the effluent standards prescribed under the Bio-Medical Waste Management (BMWM) Rules, 2016.

Sources of wastewater generation include wards, laboratories, used disinfectants, floor washing, washing of patients’ area, hand washing, laundry, discharge of accidental spillage, firefighting, bathroom/toilet, etc.

Liquid waste generated due to use of chemicals or discarded disinfectants, infected secretions, aspirated body fluids, liquid from laboratories and floor washings, cleaning, house-keeping and disinfecting activities should be collected separately and pre-treated prior to mixing with rest of the wastewater from the healthcare facility.