Minister finds lapses at bio-medical waste management unit, orders action

Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain on Thursday found several irregularities during a surprise inspection of a bio-medical waste management facility along the GT Karnal Road and ordered strict action against the firm for norms violation.

The minister, along with officials of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), conducted the surprise inspection at M/s Biotic Waste Solutions Pvt Ltd, a common bio-medical waste treatment facility in the Small Scale Industry Area beside the GT Karnal Road and noticed a number of violations.

The facility owner was found not abiding by the prescribed norms for collection, storage, disposal and handling of medical waste.

"The minister directed DPCC to take strict action against the facility owner for non-compliance of the prescribed norms, as violations pose a serious risk to the health and safety of the citizens," a government official said.

Hussain also directed the DPCC to ensure that the agencies assigned the responsibility of management of bio-medical waste complied with the norms, failing which necessary legal action would be taken against the violators.

The bio-medical waste received from the hospitals, dispensaries, laboratories, animal houses, veterinary institutions and blood banks could contain bio-hazardous contaminants and germs of serious diseases such as Hepatitis-B, Tetanus etc.

--IANS

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