Probe blows lid off illegal biomedical waste trade

A government investigation into the seizure of 8 tonnes of biomedical waste, which falls in the red category, meant to be ferried to the National Capital Region (NCR), has blown the lid off this illegal trade thriving in Punjab.

Initially, concentrated in the periphery of Chandigarh — Nayagaon, Dera Bassi, Kharar and Dhanas — many scrap dealers had shifted near Rajpura and Dakala due to the rising real estate prices and population density.

Adarshpal Vig, Chairman of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), said, “There are six common biomedical waste treatment facilities (CBWTFs) situated in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Muktsar, Mohali, Nakodar and Pathankot. They collectively handle around 19,841 kg of biomedical waste per day.”

The seized biomedical waste was marked with barcodes from an authorised waste treatment facility in Mohali, indicating that it had been diverted from legitimate disposal routes. The driver involved in the nexus dropped the biomedical waste bags from a moving vehicle at a particular location from where it landed in the hands of a scrap dealer.

It has come to the fore that the PPCB had earlier banned Mohali-based unit from treating biomedical waste due to irregularities. However, a court allowed it to operate as a collection agency. The revelation that biomedical waste is landing in the hands of those operating the illegal toy and medical equipment refurbishing industry has sent shockwaves through environmental and pollution control agencies.

Officials have not ruled out the involvement of a well-oiled network in the illegal trade. The experts said the use of biomedical waste by illegal toy manufacturers was not new. They said, “The biomedical waste is considered to be high-grade plastic, which is available at cheaper rates, and makes the toys cost effective.” They feared that syringes, oxygen masks, gloves, catheters, urine bags and plastic glucose bottles could have been repackaged by the people involved in this illegal trade.

A scrap dealer said the biomedical waste was being segregated further in the NCR, with glucose bottles being melted into plastic beads and injections recycled and sold in secondary markets.