Bio Medical Waste Management

Jammu and Kashmir State Pollution Control Board is contemplating to launch prosecution against the Principals of Government Medical Colleges of Jammu and Srinagar and both the Directors of Health Services. This has been necessitated on account of non compliance of Bio Medical Waste Management Rules despite repeated reminders and instructions. Not only this, the Board has conveyed its concerns to both the Divisional Commissioners in monitoring the compliance of the provisions of the Rules by the health institutions in their respective jurisdictions. During inspections carried out by the Board, most of the health institutions attributed the deficiencies in the bio medical waste handling and treatment to the lack of financial support from the Government. Despite taking up the matter with the Principals of the two Medical Colleges and associated hospitals of the State as also Superintendents of other hospitals followed by directions under Rule 5 but there is practically no change or any improvement in the matter.
The Member Secretary of the Pollution Control Board had conveyed to the Health Secretary in June 2017 to ward of any adverse situation that may arise on account of non compliance of Rules. No major change has been witnessed even after issuing binding instructions under Section 5 of  Environment Protection Act to the Principals of both the colleges and annual report under Bio Medical Waste Rules is neither submitted nor  displayed on websites by them . Also no information is sent in respect of segregation of waste at source, labeling / bar coding and maintenance of record is not followed. Besides sewerage treatment plant is not functional and Effluent Treatment Plant is not installed. Pre treatment of the waste is not being done.

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