The National Green Tribunal today held that biomedical waste (BMW) treatment plants are required to obtain environmental clearance (EC) before these are set up as it is a hazardous waste which can produce large number of infectious diseases.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar observed that BMW, if not dealt with properly, can have an adverse impact on public health and directed such treatment plants to obtain EC from environment ministry within a month.
"Scientific studies show that bio-medical waste is one of the more serious and hazardous pollutants and it can produce large number of infectious diseases which would be very harmful to the humanity at large. Their impact on public health can be very adverse and it is not only expected but is mandatory that such bio-medical waste is dealt with strictly.
"We hold that the bio-medical waste treatment plants are required to obtain environmental clearance...We direct all the appellants (BMW treatment plants) and respondents (project proponents) to obtain EC in terms of site location, potential environmental impacts and proposed environmental safeguards from Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in accordance with law.
"If such applications are filed before MoEF, the same shall be dealt with and disposed of expeditiously," the bench, also comprising judicial member Justice U D Salvi, said.
After the counsel for Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) sought that a time frame be fixed for the BMW units to approach MoEF for EC, the bench directed that "applications by the plants handling, segregating and treating BMW shall apply to MoEF within one month from today".
While holding that EC is a requirement prior to setting up a BMW treatment plant, the tribunal observed in its verdict that "industrial development cannot be permitted to ignore environmental interests and damage the ecology or ambient environmental quality irretrievably.
"The units or plants which violate the prescribed standards and cause serious pollution, are to be dealt with strictly in accordance with the prescribed penal or other consequences which may even include the closure of a unit.
