NEWS

In setting up the Bio-medical waste management plant in the City Beautiful, the city administration’s aspirations seems to have dashed if one goes by the expert’s opinion which says that the City Beautiful will be choked if the plant is set up in Dadumajra. The city administration is setting up common bio-medical waste treatment facility (CBWTF) over an area of two acres where the bio-medical waste from various government hospitals, private hospitals, nursing homes and private clinics in the city will be disposed “Though the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) will monitor the plant and all the guidelines would be followed when the bio-medical waste will be disposed, however, it still poses a threat to the environment of the city and it is a matter of great concern for the City Beautiful and its citizens.” Explicating the details about the medical waste, he said: “The waste generated from medical care facilities varied in nature, ranging from ordinary organic waste to highly hazardous liquid and solid waste. Thus, the waste generated can be a potential health and environmental hazard and its burning poses a serious health risk to the general public.” “The hospital waste includes plastics and PVC (poly vinyl chloride), syringe and needles, cotton and bandages, glass, food material and liquid waste etc. and the burning of the medical waste, like plastics, release toxics and potentially cancer-causing chemicals into the air, where they can be inhaled by humans and animals,” said he. “It has been a major negligence on the part of the city administration and CPCC as the land earmarked for the plant is undoubtedly in the wrong direction,” added he.