Waste treatment facility in Nilgiris faces closure
CHENNAI: The Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility operated by Society for Biomedical Waste Management in the Nilgiris district faces closure as it is operating without authorisation under the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules 2016, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
It is learnt that the CPCB has directed the member-secretary of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to look for another Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility nearby by September 15, 2018 so that biomedical waste generated from healthcare facilities located in Gudalur, Ooty, Coonoor and Kothagiri is disposed of.
Bio-medical waste is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunisation of human beings or animals or research activities pertaining thereto or in the production or testing of biological or in health camps. The healthcare facilities, while generating the waste, are responsible for segregation, collection, in-house transportation, pre-treatment of waste and storage of waste, before such waste is collected by the Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility (CBWTF) operator.
It is learnt that during an inspection by officials from the Central Pollution Control Board Regional Directorate in Bengaluru on April 19 this year, it was found that the operator of the facility did not install incinerator for disposal of yellow category of biomedical waste as required under Rule 7 of Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016.
Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 categorises the bio-medical waste generated from the health care facility into Yellow Category, Red Category, White Category and Blue Category. Yellow category includes human anatomical waste (human tissues, organs, body parts and fetus), animal anatomical waste (experimental animal carcasses, body parts, organs and tissues), soiled waste (items contaminated with blood, body fluids like dressings, plaster casts and cotton swabs0, discarded or expired medicines, chemical waste and chemical liquid waste.
Not only that, the CPCB team has found that the existing deep burial pits are not as per the standard prescribed by Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016. The autoclave and shredder are not operated regularly for treatment and disposal of biomedical waste. The operator also failed to maintain proper records with reference to biomedical waste collection, transportation, storage, treatment and disposal. The facility was also not operating Effluent Treatment Plant during the inspection by the CPCB officials.
The CPCB, in its letter to the Society for Bio-medical Waste Management in Hubbathalai village, has ordered to close the facility by September 15 for violation of provisions of Bio-Medical Waste Management rules and CPCB guidelines. In its letter accessed by Express, it has said that the facility should operate its facility only after completing necessary improvements and revocations of these directions by the CPCB.
Factfile
The Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility is in operation without authorisation under Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules 2016
The operator has not installed incinerator for disposal of Yellow category of bio-medical waste
Existing deep burial pits to dispose of bio-medical waste were not as per the standard prescribed under Bio-medical Waste Management rules
Proper records of biomedical waste collection, transportation, storage, treatment and disposal are not maintained