Monitor Covid-19 waste disposal: National Green Tribunal

Rajinder Nagarkoti | TNN | May 3, 2020, 06:45 IST

Picture used for representational purpose only

CHANDIGARH: Throwing waste generated from rooms of Covid-19 patients in hospitals general bins can be hazardous and should be closely monitored, according to directions the National Green Tribunal has issued to the states and the UT administration.
Disposal of Covid-19 waste in general bins, so as to be part of municipal waste or unscientific handling sewage and other liquid waste without safeguards, can be hazardous, the NGT said.
“There is a need to incorporate best practices apart from continued supervision and monitoring, compiling data in an online format, use of electronic/digital manifest system to track and log Covid-19 waste from all sources, preventing its accidental spillage, analyzing data for planning and feedback by creating necessary software, to the extent viable,” the order stated. T C Nautiyal, member secretary, Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee, said they have already issued guidelines for disposal of Covid-19 waste to respective departments.
The NGT directed to ensure compliance of Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, asking UT to submit a report by June 15.