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All healthcare facilities (214 in number) of Pathankot in Punjab and its common bio-medical waste treatment facility (CBWTF) are now complying with the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016. The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) would keep a watch on the operational status of the healthcare facilities as well as the CBWTF. PPCB will take appropriate action in accordance with law, if any violation of the Rules is observed.
This was stated in the additional status action taken report by the PPCB filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on June 24, 2024.
The officers of the Regional Office, Batala, of the PPCB regularly visit and inspect the healthcare facilities and the CBWTF at Pathankot from time to time and appropriate action is taken against the violators of the Rules. The report said all the healthcare facilities are having valid agreement for the lifting of biomedical waste with the CBWTF at Pathankot.
Rajesh Kumar from Guru Ram Dass Nagar tehsil in Amritsar district had filed OA No 186 of 2022 before the NGT, claiming that hospitals situated in Pathankot are illegally and unscientifically disposing of biomedical waste into the streets, roads and vacant land in violation of the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, thereby causing grave risks to human health and environmental degradation.
The waste dumped near Maa Bhadrakali Mandir in Jagraon, Punjab, is being cleared. Waste is now being deposited at a new site, while work on clearing the old dumping site is in progress. Some 6,000 MT of waste has been remediated from the site and approximately 20,000 MT will be remediated, said the report by the Municipal Council of Jagraon.
To make the site clean and green, 100 saplings have been planted and 2,000 are proposed to be planted at and around the site. Wet waste material is being converted into bio fertiliser and approximately 78 pits are being used for this purpose.
The drain abutting the site is regularly cleaned. The persons who throw waste material from dairy farms into the drain, have been served notices. Some persons, under “religious and political patronage”, have encroached upon the site’s property. Separate action needs to be taken for this.
Municipal Council of Jagraon has prepared the estimate for the construction of a shed worth Rs 573,000 and for renovation and remodeling of a pond for Rs 99,32,000. The estimate is being sent to the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company, Chandigarh.
Solid waste is being cleaned on a daily basis, with a screen mesh being installed around the water body/ponds after cleaning the same. The area around the temple is being cleaned on a regular basis, said the report on June 6, 2024.
Prasher Dev Sharma, in his application before the NGT, had alleged that the Municipal Council of Jagraon had dumped and filled garbage in a pond surrounding the temple.