Chandigarh, May 18
In less than a month of evolving an eco-friendly strategy of disposing of biomedical waste generated on their premises the Sector 16 General Hospital authorities have already become self-sufficient in waste disposal. With two biodung composting units and seven vermicomposting units installed on the campus, the hospital is close to attaining ‘green campus status’.

Started on an experimental basis on April 4 this year, the waste disposal project has drastically reduced the quantum of biomedical waste going out of hospital campus for disposal. Where until a month ago the vehicle of Medical Officer Health, MC, daily used take away two bins (4.5 cubic mm capacity each), containing hospital waste, now it comes twice a week to dispose 80 kg waste. Rest of the biomedical waste (about 30 kg per day) is being disposed at nine specially- structured composting units towards the entrance of the hospital. These units will be inaugurated by the Punjab Governor and UT Administrator, Lt Gen JFR Jacob, on May 23, the day when the Governor will also throw open the hospital’s new operation theatre.

Talking to The Tribune about the first-of its-kind waste management strategy being tried in any of the city hospitals, Dr. G. Dewan, Deputy Medical Superintendent, said, “Multifarious hospital waste is divided as biomedical and solid waste. Biomedical waste needs to be segregated into different categories in pursuance of the Supreme Court order. The same is divided for disposal in three manners — through the incinerator; through the shredder and in the municipal land field. With composting units on our campus, we are now indigenously disposing raw material waste generated in the hospital residential area, nursing hostel canteen, main canteen and the hospital kitchen.”

Dr Dewan added that this was to prevent exposure of patients and hospital personnel to infectious waste generated in the hospital. Before the waste management project started, hospital campus was filthy, with large bins and dry leaves waiting to be lifted by the MC vehicles.

The hospital had engaged Sanjay Kumar, a rag picker to collect raw waste daily. He then disposes uncooked waste into pits, which generate manure later used by the hospital’s horticulture wing. Apart from this, dry leaves are collected and disposed in biodung composting units. A special red stone path is also being laid down to beautify the area. Pits are further being covered with chiks.

Chandigarh, May 18
The rift among the office-bearers of the Chandigarh Basketball Association has widened with Col A. S. Judge, president of the association, refusing to recognise the services of Mr K. S. Bharti, honorary secretary of the association.

Two months back, senior office-bearers led by Mr D.S. Bedi, Director Principal of the Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, Dr A. C. Vaid, Principal, GGD SD College, Sector 32, Mr Ravinder Talwar, Principal, DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8 had held a meeting at SD College to resolve their differences. Few days back, when the UT junior team for the national meet was to be selected, various objections were raised by aspiring sportspersons for being dropped. The team fared badly in the recently concluded national event at Goa where neighbouring state Punjab bagged first place in boys’ section.

With the sub-junior national meet for under-13 section to be held at Pondicherry from June 17 to 22, a state meet would be organised to select the UT sub-junior team.

On May 16, Mr K.S. Bharti as honorary general secretary released the calendar of activities beginning with sub-junior state meet from May 28 to 30 at Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, followed by Ishwar Singh Memorial Open meet at IS Dev Samaj School-21 in August, Pandit Mohan Lal Memorial Basketball meet at SD Public School-32 in September, State youth below-16 section in October and state senior meet in December.

On May 17, CBA sent another fax message signed by Col A.S. Judge, president, and Mr A.S. Yadav, general secretary, which said the sub-junior basketball championship would be held in the last week of November and the exact date and venue would be notified later. Through another letter the CBA said Mr Bharti was not the general secretary but the honorary secretary and Mr Yadav was still the general secretary. It also termed the calendar as farce and was brought out without taking the president of the association into confidence.

Today, interestingly, the CBA sent another fax on a different letterhead without the logo of the association, which was signed by Mr Bharti as honorary secretary. It said the CBA would host the Sub-Junior State Basketball Championships from May 28 to 30. However in the last paragraph of the circular it was added that the circular was issued on the basis of a letter received from the secretary general, Basketball Federation of India (BFI).