Four Dibrugarh nursing homes fined for improper waste disposal

DIBRUGARH: Dibrugarh Municipal Board (DMB) has slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 each on four private nursing homes of the town for improper disposal of biomedical waste. The action was initiated after it came to the notice of the civic body and district administration that biomedical waste from these nursing homes were being discarded directly into the municipal dustbins located near the Dibrugarh Circuit House on the Assam Medical College Road.
"We have imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each on four private nursing homes in Dibrugarh town for violating the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016. They were caught red-handed while disposing biomedical wastes directly into roadside dustbins. There are rules regarding proper collection, segregation and disposal of biomedical wastes. Authorities of all the nursing homes have been asked to deposit the amount in the office of the Dibrugarh Municipal Board within seven days," DMB chairperson Soma Chakraborty on Sunday said.
Earlier, Dibrugarh deputy commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha had directed the DMB authorities to ensure strict compliance with the rules and initiate action against any person or institution found violating the provisions. Assam Medical College has the only biomedical waste treatment facility in Dibrugarh town with an incinerator of 150 kg capacity.
Biomedical waste comprises human and animal anatomical waste, treatment apparatus like needles, syringes and other materials used in healthcare facilities. This waste is generated during diagnosis, treatment or immunisation in hospitals, nursing homes, pathological laboratories, blood bank, etc. The quantum of waste generated in India is estimated to be 1-2 kg per bed per day in a hospital and 600 gm per day per bed in a clinic.