<p>Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of News item titled "Impact of Pharmaceutical toxicity on the environment and its regulatory aspects" appearing in Current Science dated
Finance minister P Chidambaram goes to Mumbai to deliberate, with its corporati, upon urban renewal, and promises sparkling growth for this bursting metropolis. On the way to the venue, he is
By the time you read this, the decision would have been taken: to allow or not to allow the French warship Le Clemenceau into India, so that it can be dismantled with unknown quantities of toxic
The botted water industry is global in nature. But it is designed to sell the same product to two completely different markets one water rich and the other water scarce. The question is whether this
The allocation for SWM between 2002 and 2007 was Rs.48.85 crore; but expenditure only Rs.13.8 crore The Chennai Corporation has a long history of making promises for improved solid waste management practices (SWM), which are rarely fulfilled (see infographic ). The local body's budget allocation for SWM between 2002 and 2007 has been Rs.48.85 crore and actual expenditure for the period is about Rs.13.8 crore
The Corporation has joined hands with the PWD for the beach beautification project Mayor M. Subramanian on Tuesday said that the Chennai Corporation planned to rope in popular film stars to popularise the concept of source segregation of garbage. Speaking at a consultative meeting of non-governmental organisations and the public ,organised by the civic body here, he said short films would be made on the subject and would be screened for the public.
A month and half after a court-appointed deadline to shut down the Gorai dumping ground, it continues to be used by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. In fact, though the BMC had assured the Bombay High Court that the dump would be closed in December 2007, the civic administration is now seeking additional time. "The BMC has given an application to the Bombay High Court stating that the closure of Gorai will take more time,'' said Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) R A Rajeev.
Dhalaos will soon be a thing of the past. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) hopes to begin door-to-door garbage collection in Shahdara (south) in next 45 days. They also plan to float tenders to invite private parties to carry out the collection in Najafgarh and South zone within the next three weeks.
Over 60,000 ton waste has been removed from the open drains and sewerage pipes in 10 localities of Lahore during the past six months by the Project Management Unit (PMU) of the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa). As a result of desiltation, sewage water flow in the Mian Mir, Sattu Katla, Samanabad, Gulshan-i-Ravi, Sabzazar, Babu Sabu, Awan Town, Shadbagh, Gulberg and Shadman had improved significantly, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. "The city's main drains are now capable of surviving water flow, especially during the upcoming monsoon season, from localities like Jail Road, Upper Mall, Gulberg, Shah Jamal, Iqbal Town, Muslim Town, Wahdat Colony, Garden Town and Samanabad,' the spokesperson added. The desiltation of open drains and sewerage system in Lahore was launched in January last year with the Rs789 million Japanese government's assistance.
The absence of a system for registration and regulation of hospitals and clinics run in the private sector has hindered the city district government's efforts to properly manage hospital waste. A source in the municipal services department of the CDGK said that about nine months ago, an exercise was launched to prepare a union council-wise inventory of hospitals, clinics, health-care centres, maternity homes and pathological laboratories and approach the medical establishments concerned to observe safe medical practices, which, however, received a less than encouraging response from hospitals. The field officers could not press the hospitals for details and the exercise remained a one-sided affair which yielded a very limited list. Under the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997, hospital waste falls within the hazardous waste category, and institutions improperly handling it can be prosecuted. Hazardous waste, existing as solid waste or a combination of solid waste, because of its quantity, concentration or physical, chemical or infectious characteristics, is considered a reservoir for disease-transmitting organisms contributing to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious illnesses. It poses a potential peril to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed. Knowing the fact that not all the small and big clinics and hospitals, both in the government and private sectors, were in a position to segregate medical waste and dispose of it properly, in the 1990s, the then municipal organisation of the city established two incinerators for safe collection and disposal of hospital waste, including hazardous waste. However, despite all efforts, till date only about 140 hospitals, health centres, laboratories and clinics are availing the government facilities against some payments, and as such it can be said that only 10-15 per cent of the waste in question is being disposed of scientifically, the source said. It was learnt that there were about 3,500 hospitals, health centres, laboratories, clinics and doctors, including qualified dentists, operating throughout the city and also generating medical waste in solid or liquid forms. The source said that since there was no proper documentation of medical establishments available with any government agency or department, the city government's municipal services department had tasked its various field workers and inspectors with collecting the relevant data. The purpose was to get the statistics and locations of hospitals and health centres and then go for counselling and coordination on medical waste disposal. However, despite all efforts the department could prepare a list of only 300-400 establishments, which could be attributed to the fact that there was no set of laws under which the hospitals and clinics could be regulated and accredited and be made to ensure, among other things, that they were environmentally and human health friendly, said a waste manager of the city government. Experts felt that it was due to the lack of a single management scenario that health-care workers, hospital administrators, sanitary workers and other health professionals were unable to understand the necessity of protecting themselves and the public from exposure to hazardous waste. Legislation ready and waiting A source privy to the public health management section of the Sindh government said that after a long exercise and consultation with all the stakeholders, including hospital managers, a draft legislation on the regulation and registration of private sector hospitals in the province was also prepared and later approved by the then chief minister in the first half of 2007 for promulgation, but it was still awaiting the consent of the governor. "Had the ordinance been promulgated, the health department, with the cooperation of the district governments, could have addressed the issue of medical waste management and streamlined the hospital waste disposal system as well,' the source noted. When contacted, Masood Alam, the City Government's EDO for Municipal Services, said his department had started an exercise to list the hospitals, but it remained half complete for a couple of reasons. "Now that the CDGK has entrusted the job of the city's solid waste management to a Chinese company, it would be the responsibility of this firm to look into the issues of all sorts of solid waste, including hospital and hazardous waste,' Mr Alam emphasised.Replying to a question, he said that his department had no real record of hospitals in the city, but it was now understood that the Chinese, who had already started visiting the union councils of the city, would also opt for listing medical establishments to manage medical waste.
BANKURA: The district town woke up to a different scene today as it witnessed state school education minister, Mr Partha De, knocking door-to-door to help extend a scientific mode of garbage collection. The minister distributed pots to be used for segregation of solid waste at source at his own constituency today. The Bankura municipality, as part of the Centre's Integrated Small & Medium Township Development Programme finally started working on solid waste management. The venture was flagged off by Mr De. The pilot project was launched in Pratapbagan locality in Ward 11. "The locals should wake up with the most scientific mode of solid waste disposal. The biodegradable and non-degradable garbage should be segregated at source. This is the most modern concept accepted globally,' Mr De said. The Bankura municipality has initially launched the project in Ward 11. The self help groups are being engaged to help collection and transportation of the waste from door-to-door. The waste articles are to be transported to the trenching ground in Kesra locality in the outskirts of the town.
