Chandigarh Administration reconstitutes advisory panel to oversee implementation

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 20

The UT Administration has reconstituted the advisory committee to oversee the implementation of the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016, in the city.

According to a notification issued by Nitin Kumar Yadav, Secretary, Environment, the committee shall meet once in six months.

The UT Health Secretary will be the chairman of the committee, whereas the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Director, Environment, Director, Health Services, Director, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Chief Architect, Urban Planning Department, Secretary, Indian Medical Association, (UT Chapter), a representative of Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment and Disposal facility, and a representative of an NGO, will be members and the Member Secretary, Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee, will be the Member Secretary of the committee.

The biomedical waste comprises human and animal anatomical waste, treatment apparatus like needles, syringes and other material used in healthcare facilities in the process of treatment and research. This waste is generated during diagnosis, treatment or immunisation in hospitals, nursing homes, pathological laboratories and blood banks.

Scientific disposal of biomedical waste through segregation, collection and treatment in an environmentally sound manner minimises the adverse impact on health workers and on the environment. The hospitals are required to put in place a mechanism for effective disposal either directly or through common biomedical waste treatment and disposal facilities.

According to an official, mixing of hazardous waste with non-hazardous results in contamination and makes the entire waste hazardous. It is necessary to segregate and treat both types of waste.

According to the 2016 Rules, bio-medical waste, which is classified into four categories based on treatment options — untreated human anatomical waste, animal anatomical waste, soiled waste and biotechnology waste — shall not be stored beyond a period of 48 hours.

Healthcare facilities have to make a provision within the premises for a safe, ventilated and secure location for the storage of segregated biomedical waste, pre-treat the laboratory waste, microbiological waste, blood samples and blood bags through disinfection or sterilisation on site and then send it to a common bio-medical waste treatment facility for final disposal.