GB Nagar regional pollution office issues notices to 51 hospitals

The Gautam Budh Nagar regional office of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has issued notices to 51 hospitals in the district for failing to take its approval to run biomedical waste disposal facilities

The Gautam Budh Nagar regional office of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has issued notices to 51 hospitals in the district for failing to take its approval to run biomedical waste disposal facilities.

HT Image

An authorisation certificate for such facilities is issued only after a team from the board inspects the facility site.

“According to the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, handling such waste, irrespective of the quantity, will require an application to the state pollution control board for authorization. During our routine checks, we found that 51 hospitals in the district did not have authorisation but were running such facilities,” said Praveen Kumar, regional officer, UPPCB.

The notices wee issued on August 5. Kumar said that till August 25, 21 of the hospitals responded to it. “While 11 shut down their facilities, the others informed us that they had the authorisation and it could be that our database was not updated. The other 30 hospitals will be put on notice again, and if they fail to give a convincing response, action will be taken,” said Kumar.

Two government hospitals are among those who are yet to respond.

“We will ensure all medical facilities are following the norms,” said Dr Sunil Kumar Sharma, chief medical officer of GB Nagar.