NGT orders environment audit of IHBAS

The National Green Tribunal today ordered an environment audit of the premier Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) here within a month.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to inspect the institute and submit a report on management of waste at IHBAS.

An environmental audit is the ability of a management system to manage waste or prevent, reduce, control, rectify or clean up pollution or environmental harm resulting from pollution.

During the hearing, advocate Rajkumar, appearing for CPCB, told the bench that the capacity of the microwave waste treatment unit of the institute at Dilshad Garden in North East Delhi was enough to treat the laboratory waste generated by it.

The submission was vehemently opposed by advocate Siddhartha Singh, appearing for the petitioner Balbir Singh, who said the capacity of unit was inadequate to deal with the waste, which includes the bio-medical waste emanating from the institute.

The tribunal, which posted the matter for next hearing on September 28, had earlier directed the CPCB and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to inspect the unit and inform it if the capacity of the waste treatment unit of the institute was adequate or not.

The green panel had directed IBHAS to install and commission microwave waste treatment unit in its premises. It had also directed the Central Ground Water Authority to consider the institute's application for permission to extract ground water.

The direction had come after the petitioner had submitted pictures to the NGT alleging that the hospital was recklessly handling bio-medical waste and causing air pollution by burning garbage in the open.

A subsequent inspection of the hospital, however, had revealed that the institute was compliant with the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 and Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.