Lok Sabha Question No. 593 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-18
Subject: Disposal of Bio-Medical Waste
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: GOPALAKRISHNAN CHINNARAJ

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 593 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18 TH NOVEMBER, 2016

## DISPOSAL OF BIO - MEDICAL WASTE

## 593. DR. C. GOPALAKRISHNAN:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has put in place any mechanism to ensure proper disposal of Bio Medical Waste in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the number of complaints received by the Government with regard to violation and the action taken against the erring hospitals during each of the last three years and the current year; and
- (d) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to monitor the disposal of biomedical waste in the prescribed manner?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## (SHRI FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE)

- (a) & (b): Government of India (GoI) has notified the Bio - medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998 under the En viro ment (Protection) Act, 1986 and these rules are furthe amended in the year 2000 and 2003.  In supersession of the Bio - medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998, Government of India (GoI) has notified the revamped Bio - medical Waste Management Rules,  2016  which  came  into  force  from  28.03.2016.    According  to Rule  7  (i) Treatment  anddisposal,  the  health  care  facilities  (HCFs)  and  common  bio - medical  waste treatment facility (CBWTF) shall treat and dispose the Bio - medical waste in accordance with Schedule - I, and in compliance with the standards provided in Schedule -II
- (c): During the last three years including the current year, complaints as and when rece by  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  are  forwarded  to  the  concerned  State  Pollution  Co Boards/ Pollution Control Committees to examine the issues raised and to take necessary action in light of the provisions of the Bio - Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules.
- (d): Apart from notification of Bio- Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 Government has taken various steps for ensuring proper treatment and disposal of bio - medical waste in the country, some of them are as follows:

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), vide letter dated October 25, 2016 requeste the State Pollution Control Board (SPCBs,) Pollution Co ntrol Committee (PCCs) and Director General  Armed  Forces  Medical  Services  (DGAFMS)  for  (i) Constitution  of  'State  Level

Advisory Committee (SLAC)' by the State Government or UT Administration in the respective State or UT and the activities initiated by th e SLAC; and (ii) Constitution of the 'District Level Monitoring  Committee  (DLMC)'  by  the  State  Government  or  UT  Administration  in  the respective State/UT and the activities initiated by the State Level Advisory Committee ( and also to take necessary s teps for ensuring effectiv e implementation of the Bio- medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 notified under the Environment (P) Act, 1986.

CPCB has also prepared the following guidelines relating to management of Bio - Medical Waste:

- a. Common Bio - MedicalWaste Treatment Facilities (CBWTFs).
- b. Design & Construction of Bio - Medical Waste incinerators.
- c. Disposal of Bio - Medical Waste generated during Universal Immunization Programme.
- d. Guidelines for Environmentally Sound Management of Mercury Waste generated from the Health Care Facilities.

The  above  guidelines  are  circulated  to  all  State  Pollution  Control  Board/Poll Control Committee for its implementation and the same is also uploaded at CPCB website http://www.cpcb.nic.in/guidelines.php for access of various stake - holders to help in complying the standards stipulated in the BMW Rules.

CPCB developed a 40 minutes video film on bio - medical waste management in order to generate awareness about the safe management of bio - medical  waste  and  this  is  availa ble on CPCB website at link http://www.cpcb.nic.in/Biomedicldocu.php.

A  check  list  for  verification  of  compliance  by  Health  Care  Facilities  (HCFs) Common Bio - medical  waste  Treatment  Facilities  (CBWTFs)  prepared  &  circulated  to  all  th State Pollution Control Board/Pollution Control Committees and DGAFMS.

CPCB is regularly carrying out inspection of AFHCEs falling under the jurisdictio Director General Arms Forces Medical Services as required by the rules and recommendatio are communicated to Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAMFS) periodically for carrying out necessary improvement. During the last eight year i.e. Feb. 2008 to Feb CPCB inspected 52 no. of AFHCEs and recommendations communicated to the DGAFMS for ensuring necessary improvements.

CPCB has carried out inspections of the 68 nos. of Health Care Facilities (HCFs) lo in the State of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and inspection & monitoring nos. of Common Bio - Medical Waste Treatment Fa cilities (CBWTFs) in the State of Haryana as a follow up of orders of Hon'ble National Green Tribunal, New Delhi and submitted reports to Hon'ble Nation Green Tribunal.

During the period 2008 and 2016, CPBC has been frequently conducting visits to vari us Health  Care  Facilities  and  Common  Bio - medical  Waste  Treatment  Facilities  (HCFs  and CBWTFs)  in  the  country  to  verify  the  status  of  compliance  to  the  Bio - Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998 & CPCB guidelines and also Direction under section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 were issued to 55 nos. of Health Care Facil Common Bio - medical Waste Treatment Facilities (HCFs/CBWTFs) for violation of provision of BMW Rules.

CPCB  Organized  five  'Interaction  meet'  with  the  concerned State  Pollution  Control Board/Pollution  Control  Committee  (SPCBs/PCCs)  and  the  Common  Bio - medical  Waste Treatment  Facilities  (CBWTFs)  operators  of  North  Eastern  &  Northern  States,  Northern Central Zone, Southern States, Western Zone as well as Central Z one during the financial years 2011- 2015.

CPCB  Organized  workshop/trainings  on  Bio -Medical  Waste  Management  at  Goa, Lucknow, Guwahati & Bhubaneshwar for various stake - holders during the year 2010 - 2011 and also sponsored to Mizoram SPCB for organizing a workshop on bio - medical waste management to the stake - holders located in the State of Mizoram, during the financial year 2011 - 2012.

In compliance to the Hon'ble NGT order dated 31.05.2016 in the matter of OA No. 277 of 2013 , CPCB as a part of the 'Joint Inspection Team' inspected 10 no. of HCF and 2 no. of CBWTFs in the State of J&K in the month of June, 2016. The visit report has been file Hon'bl e NGT (Principal Bench), by the J&K State Pollution Control Board.