ROURKELA: Hospitals including three run by Government continue to flout Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) norms with regard to discharge of untreated infectious wastewater to city drains.
On August 25, OSPCB had issued notices to Rourkela Steel Plant-run Ispat General Hospital (IGH),
Sundargarh District Headquarters Hospital (SDHH), Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) and three private hospitals, Hi-Tech Medical College and Hospital (HTMCH), CWS Hospital (CWSH) and Super Speciality Hospital (SSH). The notices were served under provisions of Odisha State Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) (Amendment) Rules, 2015 and replies were sought within 15 days.
Concerned over release of untreated wastewater from hospitals having 100 beds or more, OSPCB sources said except 625-bed IGH of SAIL, rest hospitals directly release untreated infectious wastewater into drains in their respective municipalities which flows into rivers and pollutes the water with rise in level of Bio-Chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD).
Reliable sources said, IGH in its reply claimed it is releasing wastewater to Oxidation Pond of RSP and IGH is in the process of setting up WTP. Similarly, the replies of 128-bed RGH and 197-bed SDHH stated that Odisha Government is in the process of floating tenders to construct WTP.
However, the 300-bed HTMCH informed that it has already awarded tender and WTP installation would be complete in six months, while the 120-bed CWSH said it is in the process of installing WTP and work would be over in two months. Incidentally, the 105-bed SSH claimed to have already installed its WTP by the time it submitted reply to the OSPCB.
Ironically, 15 months after the notification, none of the Government sector hospitals complied with the norms.
Regional Officer, OSPCB, Mukesh Mahaling said it is inevitable to maintain a holistic approach towards treating wastewater generated from hospitals as it carries highly infectious materials to pollute larger water sources and the environment. He said, IGH, RGH and SDHH would be asked to come out with time-bound action plans to set up WTPs.