HC pulls up Jharkhand govt for not submitting reports on biomedical waste management

Ranchi, The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday pulled up the state government for not being able to produce reports on biomedical waste management sought from deputy commissioners of all districts.

The court had, in February, ordered the deputy commissioners of all districts to inform about the status of biomedical waste disposal mechanisms in their respective areas.

A division bench of Chief Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice Rajesh Shankar was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Jharkhand Human Rights Confederation on the alleged improper disposal of biomedical waste in the state.

The court, while hearing the petition, expressed its annoyance at the point that despite directions of the bench, the deputy commissioners of different districts have not paid heed to the previous order.

The bench granted another opportunity to the deputy commissioners to furnish the required report about the disposal of biomedical waste in their districts.

The case will again be heard on June 16.

Earlier, it was informed by the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board that biomedical waste treatment plants have been set up in five districts- Lohardaga, Ramgarh, Pakur, Dhanbad and Seraikela Kharsawan.

A biomedical waste disposal plant is under construction in Deoghar and will be commissioned very soon, the board informed.

The organisation had filed the petition for compliance with the Environmental Protection Act, under which Biomedical Waste Disposal Management Rules have been formulated and ought to be implemented.

Biomedical waste generated from hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes is required to be disposed of in a manner which does not adversely affect the environment.

The petitioner had said that biomedical waste is littered in the open, which is rummaged by stray dogs.

However, with the high court monitoring the PIL, the condition has improved, and incinerators have been put to use to dispose of biomedical waste.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.