Kozhikode: The public spaces in the city are turning into dumping yards of hospital waste. Adding to the woes of the public, no agencies, including the city corporation, police and revenue department are taking strict action against the hospitals.
The dumping of waste came to light when the public spotted a few trucks unloading waste from hospitals in the ecologically sensitive spot at Sarovaram bio-park the other day. The police said that they were yet to register a case while the corporation is yet to serve any notice.
Many pointed out that with four new hospitals coming up in the last two years, the total number of hospitals in the private sector had increased from eight to eleven and the pressure on environment also was increasing steadily. Recently, the public living on the premises of Sarovaram bio-park had to remove over 100 sacks of waste from the region dumped by unidentified persons.
Industrialist P.T.S. Unni told DC that the corporation was responsible for ensuring the safe and proper waste management under its jurisdiction. "Either the municipal corporation should be ready to take over the risk of waste management or it should weave out a strategy along with hospitals for proper waste processing," he pointed out.
The hospital authorities pointed out that though they had roped in the service of agencies for waste management at times, they violate the agreement and dump the waste in public spots.
Mr K. Narayanan, the official of a prominent hospital, told DC that though his hospital had deputed an agency for waste processing, only recently they came to know that the agency had given the job on sub-contract to another which dumped it on nearby vacant spots.
"I feel it is time the corporation found a solution," he said and added that a joint facility for all hospitals like a mega incinerator can be mooted and time slots could be given to hospitals as per bed strength. However, the hospitals claimed that they had not deputed agencies for processing bio-waste for which they have an exclusive facility in tie-up with IMA.
Corporation health standing committee chairman K.V. Baburaj told DC that the municipal council would take action against the hospitals soon. "We have also directed the police to act against hospitals for dumping waste at public spots," he added.
