Chennai: After verifying the confidential report submitted by the CB-CID, the Southern bench of the National Green Tribunal on Wednesday prosecuted the official-in-charge of Kanchi Kamakoti Sankara Childs Trust Hospital, Nungambakkam, for violating the norms of Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016.
The bench, comprising Justice P. Jyothimani and expert member, P.S. Rao has taken in account, the CB-CID report, according to which the hospital sold the biomedical waste for Rs 49 per kg to Karung Kalikamba Enterprises of Tondiarpet - an unauthorized agency. “Why not sell the waste if it benefits the hospital” the authority-in-charge of the hospital has reportedly told the investigation agency.
The tribunal had on earlier directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to take immediate action on the 21 other private hospitals which includes Apollo Hospitals in Tondiarpet, the Government Peripheral Hospital in Tondiarpet, Madras ENT Research Foundation Pvt. Ltd. in R.A. Puram and Brain & Spine Hospital in T. Nagar, Cancer Institute (WIA) on Sardar Patel Road and on East Canal Road - for not following a mechanism to dispose bio medical waste.
Responding to the earlier order of the court, TNPCB conducted a meeting with hospital authorities. Counsel for TNPCB, H. Yasmeen Ali said, “TNPCB convened a meeting with the authorities of the 21 hospitals to understand the reason of variation with the rules. It was learnt that the hospitals did not calculate the quantity of weight disposal per bed.”
“The board has suggested using electronic machines to prevent variation,” Yasmeen Ali said. Putting forth the existing rules from the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016, the board has asked the hospital authorities to submit the monthly report on processing waste to the concerned district environmental engineer. The matter has been posted to October 5 for further hearing.
