Bio-medical waste: NGT issues notice to four states
GHAZIABAD: The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday issued notices
to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Punjab governments over
improper disposal and burning of bio-medical waste in the states.Putting
an immediate ban on the burning of bio-medical waste, the green tribunal
directed the four states to file their replies within one week. The case will
now come up for hearing in the first week of December.
The green panel headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar also said action
would be taken against officials of the district concerned, in case bio-
medical is found being burnt, thrown in the open or sold to scrap dealers.
The four states will also have to provide information about hospitals
inspected for violation of the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016.
Interestingly, the petitioner, Delhi-based journalist Shailesh Singh, has
sought closure of hospitals, not following the norms, in only four districts of UP – Noida, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi and Bareilly –
through four different petitions. But, looking at the gravity of the matter, Justice Swatanter Kumar not only clubbed these four
petitions, but also made three states Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana along with Uttar Pradesh respondents in the case.
Through his petition, Singh has sought directives from the NGT to the UP government for closure of all hospitals and medical
health care centers and BMW disposal plants which are not complying with Bio-Medical Waste (BMW) Management Rule, 2016
and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines. He has also sought constitution of a permanent independent
committee of experts in order to ascertain and supervise the compliance of the norms.
“Compelled by a news story published last month and which highlighted the problem, I visited seven districts of Uttar Pradesh
namely Lucknow, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Agra, Ghaziabad and Gautambudh Nagar to find out the actual status of the
management and disposal of Bio Medical Waste. To my utter dismay, I found that nowhere the rules were being followed,”
Singh told TOI.
“I have sought directions only for UP citing example from four districts, but the court said a similar situation exists in
neighbouring states also, and made them a party. It is landmark order by the NGT,” he added.
Singh’s counsels Preeti Singh and Sunklan Porwal said,”According to the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of
India which was made public in May 2017, there were 8,366 Health Care Establishments (HCEs) out of which 3,362 HCEs were
operating without authorization. The total amount of BMW generated in the State was 37,498 kg/day out of which only 35,816
kg/day was treated and disposed off. In other words, BMW of 1,682 kg/day was being disposed off untreated due to
inadequate treatment facility. The CAG report stated that the UPPCB failed to monitor unauthorized operation and untreated
disposal of BMW and did not take any action against the defaulters.”
Moreover, of 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh only 12 have medical waste management plants. The 12 districts have 20 plants out of
which, as per CAG report only seven are authorized, they added.
