DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board (UEPPCB) has penalised a Kashipur-based hospital of Rs 50,000 for non-compliance of the bio-medical waste management rules.The 98-bed LD Bhatt government base hospital in Kashipur is the first ever government hospital in the state that has been penalised by the UEPPCB in the past 18 years for not providing waste treatment facility and not maintaining record of waste generated and disposed.In addition, UEPPCB has identified 665 hospitals which have been sent a notice for flouting norms while 12 private hospitals have been penalised with Rs 50,000 for violating the law. The move, officials said, was taken as National Green Tribunal had asked the state government to be strict regarding disposal of biomedical waste.The hospital was found flouting “four” major norms. Also neither did they maintain the record of waste generated and disposed of nor did they present it to the inspection team. The notice read, “Health Care Facility has provided colour-coded waste bins for waste collection but mix waste was found in the bins.”Surprisingly, the government hospital sees an array of patients every day, conducts several thousand pathology tests and has a staff of more than 500 people even then it does not have a proper “waste treatment facility”. Highly toxic water is being released without treatment in other water sources thus proving hazardous to environment and aquatic lives.The hospital has also not applied for “consolidate consent and authorization” to the board (UEPPCB). The notice further reads out, “The management has been directed to “rectify” deficiencies recorded and ensure compliance of provision of the BMW , 2016, as per the notice.”Member secretary of UEPPCB, Sarada Prasanna Subudhi, added, “Along with the government hospital, UEPPCB has identified 665 more hospitals which have been sent notices for flouting the norms under Environment (Protection) Act 1986. Also, 12 private hospitals have already been penalised Rs 6 lakh, around Rs 50,000 per hospital, for violating BMW Rules, 2016.”Of the total 13 fined hospital, six are from US Nagar district, five are from Dehradun and two are from Roorkee Shailja Bhatt, US Nagar CMO, said, “Ideally all the facilities should abide by the set rules, however, in certain cases adherence becomes little difficult due to valid reasons. Am sure LD Bhatt hospital must be having genuine reasons, although I am not completely aware of their difficulties. Once I see the complete case, we will fulfill the rules of law at the earliest.”

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