NGT asks Centre, CPCB teams to supervise scientific disposal of COVID-19 waste

The National Green Tribunal has asked the teams of the Centre and Central Pollution Control Board to supervise handling and scientific disposal of COVID-19 waste across the country saying unscientific handling poses a grave threat to the environment and the health of the people.

The tribunal on Thursday also asked Chief Secretaries of States and Union Territories to closely monitor the scientific storage, transport, handling, management and disposal of the waste.

The NGT bench, headed by chairperson AK Goel, said that there is a need for creating awareness about the precautions and steps to be taken by all handlers and workers as well as citizens, making a model plan, to be adopted locally by the Panchayat, Sub-division, District and State authorities with such further changes as may be necessary for local conditions.

"The Health of all operators has been protected and preventive measures are taken. There is a need for orientation/training of persons responsible for compliance in Local Bodies and Health department by an online mechsm besides providing them with adequate protective gear," the NGT said.

It said that the CPCB has to take the lead and coordinate with media as well as the concerned Central and State departments in the matter.

"Let the Chief Secretary of States/UTs by coordinating the activities of State's concerned departments like of Urban Development, Health, Irrigation & Public Health also closely monitor the scientific storage, transport, handling, management and disposal of COVID-19 waste as its unscientific handling poses a grave threat environment and health of people. At the national level, let a high-level task team of Ministry of MoEF&CC, Health UD, Jal Shakti, Defence and CPCB supervise the handling and scientific disposal of COVID-19 waste in accordance with the guidelines," the NGT said in its order.

The NGT also directed the State Departments of Environment and PCBs/PCCs to ensure compliance of Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 and furnish action taken reports to CPCB and for the CPCB to take further steps and furnish a consolidated report to this tribunal of the steps taken and the ground status as on May 31, 2020.

It sought the report by June 15 and listed the matter for further hearing on June 22.

The NGT was hearing a matter initiated by it on the issue for consideration remedial action to address the gaps in compliance of the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016, as applicable to the disposal of bio-medical waste arising out of the handling of COVID-19 disease.

( With inputs from ANI )