Bio-medical waste disposal in the RR district in doldrums?

Rajendernagar: Ranga Reddy district stands as the highest or the second-highest contributor to Telangana's gross domestic product (GDP). Yet, it does not have a designated bio-medical waste treatment facility?

The district is facing twin problems- on the one hand, number of hospitals have been growing and on the other it has no designated or dedicated Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility (CBMWTC).

According to the state pollution control board (SPCB) of a total of 11 approved CBMWRFs operating in the state, five facilities have been dealing with waste treatment generated from Hyderabad and surrounding hospitals.

It may be mentioned here that hazardous waste which is classified into 11 types if not properly disposed of will pose a health hazard to the people as well as to the environment.

These biomedical waste treatment facilities generally treat human and animal anatomical waste beside treatment apparatus such as needles and syringes and cytotoxic drugs using specially designed covers and containers with colour codes like yellow, red, and blue having biohazard symbols.

The Health Care Facility (HCF) usually pastes its QR-enabled stickers on the covers and containers showing the details of the waste and the source of generation along with colour codes.

The Bio-Medical Waste should be segregated at the source of generation as per the colour code and should be closed and secured in ventilated room before handing it away to the CBMWTF.

The CBMWRF team with closed container vehicles enabled with GPS technology should cart away the colour coded bags and should update the details on online manifest of the CPCB. These vehicles will take the waste to CBWTF for further treatment and disposal as per the colour coding. Even the ash generated by incinerator has to be disposed off as per norms.

While the process is elaborate and well defined, the District PCB officials when asked by Hans India said that were clueless as to whether this procedure was being followed or not in RR district. They were also not willing to provide date regarding the location of the facilities and vehicles being used for transportation of bio-waste. The only answer a PCB official gave was that he had no relevant details and will have to get them from head office. He also could not give information on whether the status report was being sent from district to head office.