NGT directs State govt, TNPCB to submit report on biomedical waste disposal

Holding that the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and the State Government are least bothered about the health hazards caused owing to improper disposal of biomedical waste generated by hospitals, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought for a detailed report about the number of hospitals in the State, how many comply with the regulations and the action taken against non-compliant hospitals.

NGT’s principal bench comprising Justice K Ramakrishnan, Judicial Member, and Dr Nagin Nanda, Expert Member, passed the above direction while trashing the report submitted by TNPCB for failing to provide details sought by it in terms of the total quantity of biomedical waste generated by the hospitals, how they are treated and what is the method being adopted and who are the non-compliant units and the action taken against such units.

Also, noting that under such circumstances, it is felt that TNPCB is not taking very seriously about the directions given by this Tribunal in this regard, the bench directed both TNPCB and State Government to file the report as sought for within a month by e-mail. “Failure of this will result in this tribunal taking serious action taken against the officers of the Pollution Control Board by imposing penalty on them,” the bench added.

Further, on recording the submission of Jawaharlal Shanmugam, the petitioner appearing in person that the rules insisting the hospitals/health care centres to update and upload the total amount of waste generated as part of Online Consent Management & Monitoring System (OCMMS) is not followed, the bench directed TNPCB to consider this aspect also while submitting the report. The bench then posted the plea for further hearing to July 15 for further consideration of the report. Earlier, TNPCB submitted that in Tamil Nadu, 463 government hospitals and 3844 private hospitals have applied for consent of the Board, out of which 3939 Health Care Facilities have been issued with consent which includes 409 government hospitals and 3530 private hospitals.

Out of 4307 health care facilities, 3475 have been issued with authorization under Bio Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules 2016 which includes 357government hospitals and 3118 private hospitals.

Three applications are pending for the issue of consent and 117 applications are pending for issue of authorization under Biomedical Waste Rules and as on date 365 health care facilities are operating without consent, the report said.