Seven Ghaziabad hospitals to be fined ₹7.9 crore for bio-waste violations

The committee had carried out a detailed inspection of hospitals in June and recommended levying ECC while sending the report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Officials from the UP pollution control committee and the central pollution control board were also present during the inspection.

The Uttar Pradesh solid waste monitoring committee on Wednesday recommended levying a total of ₹7.9 crore as environment compensation costs (ECC) on seven hospitals, including three government hospitals, in the city for allegedly flouting Bio-medical Waste Management Rules – 2016.

According to officials, it was found during inspections that the hospitals in general had unclean surroundings and had not installed effluent treatment plants. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The committee had carried out a detailed inspection of hospitals in June and recommended levying ECC while sending the report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Officials from the UP pollution control committee and the central pollution control board were also present during the inspection.

Committee officials on Wednesday said that five out of the seven hospitals were recommended for ECC of ₹1.33 crore each while two other private hospitals – in Sanjay Nagar and Lohiya Nagar – were recommended for an ECC of ₹61 lakh and ₹70.35 lakh, respectively. Those recommended for ₹1.33 crore penalty each include three government hospitals - MMG District Hospital, Sanjay Nagar Combined Hospital and upgraded District Women’s Hospital.

“During inspections we found the hospitals in general had unclean surroundings and had not installed effluent treatment plants (ETP). The untreated waste was also found getting discharged into the public sewer system. The segregation, storage and disposal of biomedical waste were found unsatisfactory in these hospitals,” Judge (retired) Rajendra Singh, the secretary of the committee, said.

“We have sent the report to the NGT to take cognisance of the issue. The hospitals must improve their systems and adhere to norms,” he added.

The MMG Hospital is located near Ghanta Ghar and has 200 beds. Committee officials in their report stated that the hospital is operating without valid consent for water and air as per the Rules, discharge of untreated trade effluent and sewage in public sewers is unsatisfactory and no ETP or sewage treatment plant (STP) was installed at the premises.

In addition to the similar alleged conditions prevailing at four other private hospitals, committee members also stated that the four were found having unsatisfactory segregation, storage and disposal of bio-medical waste. The four private hospitals are located at Pratap Vihar, Sanjay Nagar, Lohiya Nagar and Mohan Nagar.

Committee officials found similar alleged violations by the other two government hospitals – Sanjay Nagar Combined Hospital and upgraded Women Hospital.

“Regarding ETPS/STPS, the three hospitals have already written to the state government and will require funds for installation. We will check up about the other conditions prevailing and ask the three hospitals to comply,” Dr NK Gupta, chief medical officer, Ghaziabad district, said.

The committee had recently recommended an ECC of ₹48.9 lakh to be levied on the Ghaziabad municipal corporation for alleged irregularities related to the Pratap Vihar solid waste dumping site. It had also recommended levying of daily ECC against agencies if the dumped solid waste at the site is not lifted before December 1, 2020 and had also asked agencies to furnish ₹5 crore bank guarantee for ensuring smooth execution of pending works.

When contacted, Dr Deepa Tyagi, chief medical superintendent of the Dictrict Women’s Hospital, said: “We are treating our effluents properly and we also showed it to the committee members during inspection. An agency is engaged to take away our hospital’s bio-medical waste.”

“For other liquid waste related to washing of blood etc, we are first disinfecting it with equal amount of disinfectant and later diluting it before releasing it into sewers. Liquids such as urine etc are discharged into sewers. We will give a presentation against the recommendation of ECC,” she added.

Dr Ravinder Rana, chief medical superintendent of MMG District Hospital, said: “There is no ETP at our hospital. Initially, we received only ₹12 crore fund for the plant but its estimate was about ₹20 crore. We have sent a revised estimate for the ETP to our directorate. The bio-medical waste is disposed of properly. The liquid waste is disinfected and later disposed of in the sewerage system. We are doing every bit we can under the available funds.”