NEW DELHI, July 31: The Ministry of Environment and Forests is giving final touches to a notification regarding disposal of bio-medical wastes from hospitals, clinics, research and development organisations, laboratories and slaughter houses. This notification has been hanging fire for the last two years.

The notification would also cover proper disinfection, treatment and disposal of bio-medical wastes. Following a public interest case, the Supreme Court in 1995 had directed the Central government to install incinerators in all hospitals and nursing homes with a capacity of more than 50 beds, in the capital.

Since then, several studies have shown that lack of facilities for disposal of medical waste and improper use of incinerators in the mushrooming nursing homes and hospitals pose a major environment problem in the capital. Most of the hospitals and nursing homes, surveyed by a non-governmental organisation, in the capital depend on the municipal corporation to dispose their garbage and have no disposal system of their own.

These medical wastes, including hazardous incinerator ash, are dumped in landfills which have no provision for containing toxicity of the products.There are several latent health hazards associated with such a disposal system. Diseases like hepatitis can occur through ground water contamination as a result of such infectious waste.

The notification, which is expected by September, covers categorisation of bio-medical wastes, types of containers to be used, labels required as well as treatment and disposal options. The rules known as the Bio-Medical Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, would be issued under various sections of the Environment Protection Act, 1986.

One of the important features is the prohibition on the import and export of such wastes. In order to keep track of these wastes, bi-annual reports, maintenance of records and annual returns are made mandatory.

Appropriate departments will be designated with the task of implementing the new rules. All persons handling such wastes are required to obtain authorisation.

Segregation of wastes at the source of its generation will be made mandatory under the rules for all institutions and organisations dealing with such wastes. These rules also provide the scheme for types of containers to be used, colour coding and labeling.

The new rules are applicable to wastes like human anatomical wastes, blood and body fluids, animal wastes, microbiology, waste sharps, highly infections wastes, isolated wastes, discarded medicines, discarded glassware, soiled wastes, liquid wastes, biotechnology wastes, slaughter house wastes and incineration wastes.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.