By Tejas

Pune, August 30, 2024: For non-compliance of rules regarding biomedical waste, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has issued notices to two municipal hospitals of Pune Municipal Corporation. This notice has been issued after it was discovered that two hospitals of the municipality were not following the norms regarding biomedical waste.

The hospitals that were found in violation of biomedical waste rules have been situated at Mitra Mandal Chowk and Timber Market. After these notices, another mismanagement of the PMC has come to light.

The MPCB Regional Officer, J.S. Salunkhe, has issued this notice. In the notice, it has been directed by MPSB to provide a separate bio-medical waste storage facility within one month from the date of issue of this notice. Further, these municipal hospitals also need to submit their annual report as well as the details of the sewage treatment facility within a month to the MPCB.

This makes it mandatory for these hospitals to provide a separate biomedical storage facility as per the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, within one month. Notably, the MPCB also issued notices to these hospitals earlier too. However, as they did not take the necessary actions, another notice has been issued to them.

In the notices, the MPCB has asked both these hospitals to maintain records of biomedical storage. Also, instructions have been given to segregate the biomedical waste according to categories and store this medical waste in colour-coded bags till disposal. These hospitals need to submit the action report to the MPCB within seven days.