NGT directs Bihar govt to submit no of hospitals generating biomedical waste

The National Green Tribunal Thursday directed the Bihar government to submit within two weeks the total number of hospitals and medical health care centres which generate biomedical waste.

A bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore also directed the principal secretary of health to remain present before it on February 25.

The green panel passed the order after noting that despite its January 10 order to submit the total number of government and private hospitals, the state government only filed an incomplete affidavit which is "abstract" in nature.

"The order clearly speaks that the details which are being sought from State of Bihar, since the year 2017, should be complete and authentic in all respect to be submitted through an affidavit. But the needful has not been done as per the direction.

"Therefore, last opportunity is granted to principal secretary (Health), State of Bihar to comply with the order dated January 10, 2019 in letter and spirit, within two weeks from today," the bench said.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by NGO Veterans Forum for Transparency in Public Life seeking execution of October 24, 2017 order of the NGT which had directed the state government to prepare a complete inventory of the units generating biomedical waste, its collection and disposal in accordance with Biomedical Waste Rules, 2016.

"The Central Pollution Control Board shall ensure execution of this order. The State of Bihar and the Bihar Pollution Control Board shall file compliance report within three months," the NGT had said in its order.

The tribunal had earlier directed the Bihar government to submit complete details about the units generating biomedical waste and share as to how does it plan to deal with the trash generated by the hospitals and nursing homes in the state.