Following the report ‘Toxic COVID waste burnt, mixed with trash’ published in these columns on January 8, the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) carried out inspection of the sites and issued notices to Area Hospital, Golconda and Malakpet for non-compliance of the Bio-Medical Waste Management (BMWM) Rules 2016.
“The Board officials inspected Area Hospital, Golconda on 08.01.2020 and observed that the Area Hospital-Golconda is disposing the Bio-Medical Waste to M/s. Roma Industries, Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Facility (CBMWTF). It was also noticed that general waste was being burnt in the premises and some PPE kits were mixed with general waste,” said TSPCB in a note about action taken.
The Board officers are monitoring the HCFS & CBMWTFs for compliance of BMWM Rules, says the note.
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The officials also inspected PHC-Malakpet and observed that PHC bio-medical waste is disposed to M/s Sattva Global Services, a CBMWTF and no COVID waste burning was observed in the premises. During the inspection, it was instructed to collect the bio-medical waste separately and to hand it over to CBMWTF along with PHC waste.
The TSPCB also issued letters with guidelines addressed to DM&HO and stakeholder to ensure for timely entering/renewal of agreement by all the government HCFS viz. Area Hospitals, PHCS, UPHCs, Diagnostic Centres, COVID Testing Centres with CBMWTFs and to hand over the biomedical waste and COVID waste on a daily basis duly following segregation procedure with colour coding to CBMWTFs.
“It was also intimated for collection of bio-medical waste from COVID testing centres to concerned PHCs/UPHCs/Basti Dawaakhanas, following guidelines issued by CPCB and to hand over the same to CBMWTFs along with other bio-medical waste,” according to the note.
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