Saturday, February 29, 2020

Salem medical college fined over waste disposal

Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com

Chennai:29.02.2020

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has slapped a penalty of ₹1crore on a Salem-based medical college for improper disposal of biomedical waste, and filed a case against another medical college for a similar offence.

The board, in an action taken report, said it had also issued show-cause notices to six educational instituions in the district that had not obtained the mandatory clearances from the TNPCB.

The report was filed before the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal, which had sought it after hearing a petition from Environment Protection and Anti-Pollution Group Trust. The trust had alleged that the two medical colleges were discharging effluents in open drains and not disposing biomedical waste as per norms.

The TNPCB ordered eightyear-old Annapoorna Medical College and Hospital to remit Rs1 crore as performance guarantee and carry out corrective measures within the stipulated period. The TNPCB had directed it in June last year to obtain the necessary approvals within a month. Later, it extended the period for another three months. The hospital shall operate and maintain the effluent treatment plant and sewage treatment plant as per the TNPCB’s prescribed standard, maintain a log book for the operation and maintenance of the treatment plants and disposal of biomedical waste.

TNPCB joint chief environment engineer G Gopalakrishnan said in the report that Kirupananda Variyar Medical College and Hospital, which has 630 beds and generates 300 kilolitres a day of sewage and 5 kilolitres a day of trade effluent, has been functioning without obtaining approval from the pollution control board. It neither obtained authorization under the Biowaste Management Rules, 2016, nor got consent under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1984, and The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. A case is pending in the local judicial magistrate court.

Dean of Annapoorna Medical College and Hospital Dr Shanmugam said that they had moved court to reduce the penalty. Chief of Kirupananda Variyar Medical College Dr Prakasam said they had taken corrective measures and submitted all reports to the TNPCB.

(With input from Senthil Kumaran – Salem)

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