The National Green Tribunal has directed a team of officials from the Environment, Health, Defence and Water Resources Ministries to supervise the handling and scientific disposal of COVID-19 waste, along with officers from the Central Pollution Control Board.
While observing that a large amount of bio-medical waste generated can itself be a source of the disease, a Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said: “The virus spreads mainly by droplets and also by touch of contaminated articles. Large scale testing has been and is being done. By way of precaution, masks, gloves, PPE etc are used which are disposed of thereafter.”
Stating that the in view of the coronavirus pandemic challenges like gaps in compliance of bio-medical waste rules needed to be addressed, the green panel that guidelines issued by the CPCB needed further revision. Additionally, the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories were directed to closely monitor the scientific storage, transport, handling, management and disposal of COVID-19 waste.
