Nagpur Hospital fined Rs 50000 over biomedical waste violations

Nagpur: A Nagpur-based private hospital was charged with a fine of Rs 50,000 for mixing biomedical waste with the normal waste package to a worker associated with a waste operating company, in violation of the biomedical waste management rules.  

The Shri Bhawani Multi-Speciality Hospital in Pardi handed over the mixed waste to the door-to-door collection vehicle of BVG India Limited on Thursday morning. The staff gave the trash in a black-coloured plastic bag, which was accepted by the worker to be taken to the landfill area at Bhandewadi yard. 

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The incident came to light when an official associated with the nuisance detection squad (NDS) detected the waste during the routine inspection of the vehicles entering the area. 

While checking, Officer Sudhir Sudke discovered that the biomedical waste was filled in a bag meant for regular trash given by Shri Bhawani Multi-Speciality Hospital. The squad team subsequently conveyed the information to the officials of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), reports the TOI. 

The NMC deputy municipal commissioner of the solid waste management department Dr Gajendra Mahalle directed the Lakadganj zone to impose a fine of Rs 50000 on the hospital. 

However, the hospital management has denied the allegations and has refused to pay the fine. Refuting the statement of the NDS, the hospital authorities stated that their staff did not put the biomedical waste in the bag meant for regular trash and gave it to the BVG worker. 

The Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 provides the regulatory framework for the management of bio-medical waste generated in the country. The rules clearly state that untreated bio-medical waste should not be mixed with other wastes and must be segregated into containers or bags at the point of generation. Further, the rule states that the waste has to be transported in specific vehicles to any off-site bio-medical waste treatment facility. 

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