The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday observed that nine city hospitals including the premier AIIMS are violating rules for collection and disposal of municipal solid waste with ‘impunity’.
A Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar made the observation after it was informed by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) that AIIMS, Ram Manohar lohia, Maharaja Agrasen, Northern Railways Central, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital and four others have still not complied with the rules for collection and disposal of municipal solid waste.
The Bench observed that these hospitals need to take immediate steps for proper collection and disposal of waste to fully comply with the rules and that non-compliance will result in action against their Medical Superintendents and other senior officials. “The nine hospitals are violating the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 with impunity and in their cases the Central Pollution Control Board has decided to launch prosecution as well,” said the Bench. The four other hospitals are lala Ram Swaroop Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, MVID and two ESI hospitals in Rohini and Basai Darapur.
However, the observation was made while allowing DPCC’s application for changing the category of five hospitals which included Safdarjung Hospital which almost fully complied with rules of collection and disposal of municipal and bio-medical waste. Apart from Safdarjung, the other hospitals whose category was sought to be changed were, lady Hardinge, Kalawati Saran, Suchitra Kriplani and Bara Hindu Rao.
Moreover, the tribunal also asked the authorities concerned to file an appropriate report by August 23, which is the next date of hearing, regarding NGT’s order of July 19.