AP Pollution Control Board to develop app for tracking bio-medical waste

Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) member secretary Vivek Yadav highlighted the bio-medical waste management rules 1998 and its subsequent amendments, which are notified in the Act 1986. 

Even after 20 years of notification of rules, the implementation is not 100 per cent and he cited examples of how the bio-medical waste was managed prior to rules and the gradual improvement of management practices over the 20 years.

The APPCB conducted a workshop on Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules 2016, Issues and Challenges in the safe disposal of bio-medical waste here on Tuesday. Delivering a keynote address in the workshop, Vivek Yadav said that 11 numbers of common bio-medical waste treatment facilities were functioning in the State.

The Board has given permissions for establishment of facilities in Vizianagaram and Kadapa districts as the Board has resolved to encourage the establishment of facilities in every district of the State. To avoid monopoly, the Board also decided to encourage two numbers of facilities in Visakhapatnam and Amaravati where the bed strength is considerably high.

The government has issued orders to meet the expenditure pertaining to bio-medical waste disposal and for payment of fee for obtaining mandatory permissions from the Pollution Control Board, he added.

Reacting to the suggestions of the President, APNA and the President IMA for fixing the rational in the cost of the bio-medical waste being collected by the facilities, the Member Secretary issued instructions to take up the issue in the State-level technical committee for discussion and taking appropriate decision.