Pimpri-Chinchwad residents raise a stink over bio-medical waste dumped in open
The residents have alleged that hazardous waste including discarded syringes, medicines, face masks, blood samples and gloves is dumped on the pavement posing a serious threat to public health and safety
Annoyed over bio-medical waste being dumped on the pavement alongside the Dr D Y Institute of Technology Road for the past couple of days, residents of Sant Tukaram Nagar in Pimpri-Chinchwad have claimed this poses a serious threat to public health and demanded immediate action.
The residents have alleged that hazardous waste including discarded syringes, medicines, face masks, blood samples and gloves is dumped on the pavement posing a serious threat to public health and safety.
One of the residents, Tanvi Kamble, said, “This illegal dumping of bio-medical waste has become common in the twin city of Pimpri-Chinchwad. Small hospitals and pathology laboratories discard the waste in public spaces, near rivers, bridges and grounds.”
Another resident requesting anonymity said, “Hospitals and clinics in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) are charged fees for collection of bio-medical waste. The fees depend on the number of beds in each facility. However, it seems the health department is not effectively monitoring whether this hazardous waste is being collected regularly, leading to ongoing public health concerns.”
Ganesh Deshpande, health executive officer, PCMC, said that orders will be issued to the respective officer to look into the issue and pay a visit to the location. “We will try to find the respective institute to which the bio-medical waste belongs. They will be penalised for dumping waste in the open violating the rules. A penalty of ₹35,000 will be imposed and ₹50,000 in case of repeated violations.”
{{/usCountry}}Ganesh Deshpande, health executive officer, PCMC, said that orders will be issued to the respective officer to look into the issue and pay a visit to the location. “We will try to find the respective institute to which the bio-medical waste belongs. They will be penalised for dumping waste in the open violating the rules. A penalty of ₹35,000 will be imposed and ₹50,000 in case of repeated violations.”
{{/usCountry}}Another PCMC official on condition of anonymity said, “In the past couple of years, many hospitals were found violating environmental norms and indulged in unscientific disposal which can pose serious health hazards for citizens. We have imposed a penalty of over ₹20 lakh on them. They were found dumping bio-medical waste in public spaces near bridges, grounds and in rivers.”
{{/usCountry}}Another PCMC official on condition of anonymity said, “In the past couple of years, many hospitals were found violating environmental norms and indulged in unscientific disposal which can pose serious health hazards for citizens. We have imposed a penalty of over ₹20 lakh on them. They were found dumping bio-medical waste in public spaces near bridges, grounds and in rivers.”
{{/usCountry}}Ineffective management of bio-medical waste or accidents at any stage from generation to disposal have the potential to cause serious ecological consequences. The Bio-medical Waste Management Rules 2016 were envisioned to strengthen India’s regulatory and compliance framework for safe disposal and handling of such waste.
