The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today observed that nine city hospitals including the premier AIIMS are violating rules for collection and disposal of municipal solid waste with "impunity".
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar made the observation after it was informed by Delhi Pollution Control Committee that AIIMS, Ram Manohar Lohia, Maharaja Agrasen, Northern Railways Central, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital and four others have still not complied with the rules for collection and disposal of municipal solid waste.
The four other hospitals are Lala Ram Swaroop Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, MVID and two ESI hospitals in Rohini and Basai Darapur.
The tribunal said that the nine hospitals are "violating the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 with impunity and in their cases the Board (Central Pollution Control Board) has decided to launch prosecution as well".
The observation was made while allowing DPCC application for changing the category of five hospitals, including Safdarjung, which have almost fully complied with rules of collection and disposal of municipal and bio-medical waste.
Apart from Safdarjung, the other hospitals whose category was sought to be changed were, Lady Hardinge, Kalawati Saran, Suchitra Kriplani and Bara Hindu Rao.
The bench observed that these hospitals need to take immediate steps for proper collection and disposal of waste to fully comply with the rules and that non-compliance will result in action against their medical superintendents and other senior officials.
The tribunal also asked the authorities concerned to file an appropriate report, positively by August 23 which is the next date of hearing, regarding NGT's order of July 19.
On July 19, the NGT had directed DPCC and Central Pollution Control Board to conduct a survey of all the hospitals which were violating municipal solid waste rules and to place a comprehensive report as to whether they are complying with the tribunal's directions to implement the waste management rules.
