CHANDIGARH, Nov 23 — The Punjab Government has decided to develop common facility for the scientific disposal of bio-medical waste at Ludhiana, first of its kind in northern India in accordance with the strict provisions of the Bio-Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998, notified by the Government of India, Ministry of Environment of Forests under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Presiding over the meeting of the senior officers of the state government to ensure the implementation of these rules in letter and spirit here late last evening, Mr Rajan Kashyap, Principal Secretary, Science, Technology, Environment & non-Conventional Energy, Punjab, said that the wastes generated during diagnosis, treatment of human beings or animals or in research activities lie sharp needles/syringes, solid waste, disposable cotton and bandages, anatomical waste, discarded medicine and chemical wastes etc. were potentially hazardous and deadly infectious which could pose a serious threat to human health if its management was indiscriminate and unscientific.
Mr Kashyap stressed that all hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, veterinary hospitals/dispensaries and other such institutes must dispose bio-medical waste strictly as per provisions made under the said rules. He cautioned about penalities for violations of the statutory provisions and also highlighted the various changes made in these rules. He further invited the attention of the officers present in the meeting towards the provisions made for penal action under Section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Mr N.K. Arora, Principal Secretary, Local Government, Punjab, said as per the notified rules, it was obligatory for each local body to provide a proper site for the development of the common
facility for the disposal of bio-medical waste.
Mr Viswajeet Khanna, Special Secretary to Government of Punjab, Department of Science Technology, Environment and Non-Conventional Energy, informed the meeting about the arrangements made in the state of Andhra Pradesh at
Hyderabad for the disposal of bio-medical waste, which would be replicated in Punjab.
After detailed deliberations, Mr Kashyap in consultation with other officers
decided to constitute a committee under the chairmanship of Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, with members of other departments concerned for processing the selection of private sector parties to be shortlisted after floating tenders by Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, to do the job for collecting, transporting and disposing the bio-medical waste in a scientific and hygienic manner. It was also decided to set up the first such facility at Ludhiana within four months. Mr Kashyap directed the Chairman, Punjab Pollution Control Board, to have a regular, strict view of the progress made in the implementation of the said rules so as to ensure that all the concerned
institutions implement these rules before the stipulated date laid down in these rules by Government of India.
Prominent amongst others who attended the meeting included; Mr Surjit Singh, Principal Secretary, Medical Research and Education; Mr P.K. Verma, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare; Mr Anurag Aggarwal, Managing Director, Punjab Health Systems Corporation and Mr A.K. Mahajan, Chairman, Punjab Pollution Control Board.
