Committee formed to monitor biomedical waste disposal in Chennai

CHENNAI: In a bid to monitor disposal of biomedical waste in Chennai, a 16-member committee including officers from different line departments like revenue, Chennai corporation, PWD, fisheries, rural health services and animal husbandry has been constituted by Tamil Nadu government.

The committee is headed by R Seethalakshmi, district collector, Chennai, and it have been given task to draft the District Environmental Plan so as to furnish monthly progress to Chief Secretary on the effective implementation of the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 in the city.

An official order regarding this has been issued by district collector of Chennai on August 30. After an order from Principal Bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) passed on July 15. The order passed by NGT gave two-month period to all states to form district level monitoring committee and make an inventory of biomedical waste generation and health care facilities.

The progress report to be submitted by the committee will be uploaded on the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) website.

The bench of NGT gave two-month deadline for action on order and said: “Even if after two months the States are found to be non-compliant, the compensation will be liable to be recovered from the States at the rate of Rs 1 crore per month till the non-compliance continues.”

A recent report submitted by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reveal several shortcomings in implementation of Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules in Tamil Nadu and proposed closure of health care facilities for continued violation.