We have numerous hospitals, dispensaries, polytechnics and other health care units across the State. How much of waste do they produce is not easy to imagine. All that waste has to be collected, carried and disposed of in a manner that the disposal does not pollute the air and does not cause damage to human, animal or plant life. Bio-medical waste is usually dangerously infected waste that can cause serious pollution if not handled carefully and scientifically. Consequently its scientific disposal became a serious issue and way back in 1998, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests framed Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules that provide for regulatory frame work for management of bio-medical waste. These rules had to be implemented in all states including J&K as these pertain to the protection of environment.
The State Government constituted numerous committees with the responsibility of implementing the above rules in all the districts of the State with District Magistrates as chairpersons of respective committees. However, the formation of committees did not result in practical implementation of the rules because there was no follow up action and then the administration became complacent about the entire issue. Nevertheless, after several reminders from the Union Ministry of Environment, the General Administrative Department through a Government order of July 2017 constituted an Advisory Committee headed by the Administrative Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department and comprised of representatives of about half a dozen secretaries of various departments. The Advisory Committee is supposed to oversee the implementation of Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules in all the districts of the State. Actually, these rules were reframed last year to ensure improvement in the collection, segregation, processing, treatment and disposal of bio-medical waste in an environmentally sound management to reduce impact on the environment and human health. Notwithstanding the need for taking quick action and ensuring pollution free environment in the State, administrative machinery seems to be complacent with lackadaisical attitude towards environmental non-degradation and protection of human and plant health. The Advisory Committee has not met even once after its constitution was formally announced. The situation about scientific and safe collection, transportation and disposal of bio-medical waste in districts of the State is not conforming to the rules set forth in Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules of the Union Ministry of Environment. District level committees headed by the District Magistrates were also supposed to submit reports after regular intervals to the State Advisory Committee and State Pollution Control Board for further necessary action. No report of this sort has ever been sent to the Advisory Committee and even the Committee has never cared to ask for such reports. This shows that there is widespread complacency at all levels and the State machinery is totally uninterested in ensuring the healthy environment in the State. Where is this complacency going to lead us to? It is a big health hazard and the entire population of the State living in urban or rural areas is under threat. Why does the administration choose to endanger the health of people by defying necessary rules of environmental protection? The elected representative of the people should use their rights in raising this alarming issue in the Legislative Assembly and ask censure the administration for failing to discharge sensitive responsibility of giving people pollution free environment.
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