NGT raises concern over COVID-19 bio-medical waste disposal

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has raised concern over the unscientific disposal of the bio-medical waste arising out of the handling of the COVID-19 disease.

NGT has urged the State Pollution Control Board and Pollution Control Committee to put in serious efforts to mitigate possible risk of contamination of land.

A bench headed by Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, on Tuesday, raked up the issue of gaps in compliance of the Bio Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 which are applicable to the disposal of the bio-medical waste generated out of handling a viral disease.

The tribunal also perused the guidelines for 'Handling, Treatment and Disposal of Waste Generated during Treatment, Diagnosis, Quarantine of COVID-19 Patients' issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recently.

It expressed the need for proper disposal of used Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), used bags, gloves, goggles, without the same getting mixed with other municipal solid waste causing contamination.

The bench also expressed the need to review the effectiveness of the monitoring mechanism. It stated that there was a need to create awareness by special awareness programmers, organising training in concerned local bodies, health departments, providing workers handling COVID-19 waste with adequate protective gear, adequate coordination with media and other concerned regulatory authorities.