Bio Medical Waste Problem
Government of India (GoI) has notified the Bio medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and these rules are further amended in the year 2000 and 2003.
In supersession of the Bio medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998, Government of India (GoI) has notified the revamped Bio-medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 which came into force from 28.03.2016.
According to Rule 7 (i) Treatment and disposal, the health care facilities (HCFs) and common bio-medical waste treatment facility (CBWTF) shall treat and dispose the Bio-medical waste in accordance with Schedule-I, and in compliance with the standards provided in Schedule-II.
During the last three years including the current year, complaints as and when received by Central Pollution Control Board are forwarded to the concerned State Pollution Control Boards/ Pollution Control Committees to examine the issues raised and to take necessary action in light of the provisions of the Bio-Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules.
Apart from notification of Bio Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 Government has taken various steps for ensuring proper treatment and disposal of bio-medical waste in the country, some of them are as follows:
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), vide letter dated October 25, 2016 requested all the State Pollution Control Board (SPCBs,) Pollution Control Committee (PCCs) and Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) for (i) Constitution of ‘State Level Advisory Committee (SLAC)’ by the State Government or UT Administration in the respective State or UT and the activities initiated by the SLAC; and (ii) Constitution of the ‘District Level Monitoring Committee (DLMC)’ by the State Government or UT Administration in the respective State/UT and the activities initiated by the State Level Advisory Committee (SLAC) and also to take necessary steps for ensuring effective implementation of the Bio-medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 notified under the Environment (P) Act, 1986.
CPCB has also prepared the following guidelines relating to management of Bio-Medical Waste:
a. Common Bio Medical Waste Treatment Facilities (CBWTFs).
b. Design & Construction of Bio-Medical Waste incinerators.
c. Disposal of Bio-Medical Waste generated during Universal Immunization Programme.
d. Guidelines for Environmentally Sound Management of Mercury Waste generated from the Health Care Facilities.
The above guidelines are circulated to all State Pollution Control Board/Pollution Control Committee for its implementation.
CPCB developed a 40 minutes video film on bio medical waste management in order to generate awareness about the safe management of bio-medical waste.
A check list for verification of compliance by Health Care Facilities (HCFs) and Common Bio-medical waste Treatment Facilities (CBWTFs) prepared & circulated to all the State Pollution Control Board/Pollution Control Committees and DGAFMS.
CPCB is regularly carrying out inspection of AFHCEs falling under the jurisdiction of Director General Arms Forces Medical Services as required by the rules and recommendations are communicated to Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAMFS) periodically for carrying out necessary improvement. During the last eight year i.e. Feb. 2008 to Feb. 2016, CPCB inspected 52 no. of AFHCEs and recommendations communicated to the DGAFMS for ensuring necessary improvements.
CPCB has carried out inspections of the 68 nos. of Health Care Facilities (HCFs) located in the State of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and inspection & monitoring of 13 nos. of Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Facilities (CBWTFs) in the State of Haryana as a follow up of orders of Hon’ble National Green Tribunal, New Delhi and submitted reports to Hon’ble Nation Green Tribunal.
During the period 2008 and 2016, CPBC has been frequently conducting visits to various Health Care Facilities and Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facilities (HCFs and CBWTFs) in the country to verify the status of compliance to the Bio-Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998 & CPCB guidelines and also Direction under section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 were issued to 55 nos. of Health Care Facilities / Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facilities (HCFs/CBWTFs) for violation of provision of BMW Rules.
CPCB Organized five “Interaction meet” with the concerned State Pollution Control Board/Pollution Control Committee (SPCBs/PCCs) and the Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facilities (CBWTFs) operators of North Eastern & Northern States, Northern & Central Zone, Southern States, Western Zone as well as Central Zone during the financial years 2011-2015.
CPCB Organized workshop/trainings on Bio-Medical Waste Management at Goa, Lucknow, Guwahati & Bhubaneshwar for various stake-holders during the year 2010-2011 and also sponsored to Mizoram SPCB for organizing a workshop on bio-medical waste management to the stake-holders located in the State of Mizoram, during the financial year 2011-2012.
In compliance to the NGT order dated 31.05.2016 in the matter of OA No. 277 of 2013, CPCB as a part of the ‘Joint Inspection Team’ inspected 10 no. of HCF and 2 no. of CBWTFs in the State of J&K in the month of June, 2016. The visit report has been filed in NGT (Principal Bench), by the J&K State Pollution Control Board.