NGT Orders Strict Compliance for Biomedical Waste Management Across India
National Green Tribunal Takes Action on Biomedical Waste Disposal
New Delhi, Aug 9: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has mandated the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to enforce strict adherence to biomedical waste disposal regulations following a nationwide assessment that revealed significant non-compliance, particularly in six states of Northeast India.
According to a CPCB compliance report presented to the tribunal, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland are among the 17 states and Union Territories where healthcare facilities are still resorting to deep burial methods for biomedical waste disposal.
In an order dated August 5, the NGT bench, led by Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Dr. Afroz Ahmad, acknowledged the breaches of the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, and instructed the CPCB to implement corrective measures.
The CPCB's report indicated that 9,178 healthcare facilities across the 17 states and UTs were utilizing deep burial for biomedical waste. Of these, state pollution control authorities inspected 6,375 facilities, with only 5,715 meeting all compliance standards.
The report's highlighted violations raise alarms regarding the methods of biomedical waste burial and adherence to necessary precautions to avert environmental damage.
The most prevalent violation pertained to groundwater protection, with 477 facilities found lacking in this area.
Additional infractions included unauthorized burial sites at 341 facilities, improper pit locations to prevent contamination at 316 facilities, insufficient record-keeping at 253 facilities, failure to restrict animal access at 229 facilities, and inadequate soil coverage over waste at 216 facilities.
Inspections were conducted by State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees.
The CPCB informed the NGT that directives had been sent to the relevant pollution control authorities to initiate corrective actions.
The pollution watchdog warned the tribunal that if compliance is not achieved within eight weeks, actions under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, would be taken against non-compliant states and healthcare facilities.
The NGT has instructed the CPCB to submit a new compliance report at least one week prior to the next hearing scheduled for October 28.
The states and Union Territories included in the CPCB report are Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.