BAR CODES SUGGESTED FOR WASTE

Bar codes for medical waste? In a bid to control the illegal dumping of bio-medical waste in open areas and sewage lines, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has now proposed the use of bar codes on bulk medical waste. The bar codes will also have the PAN or GST number of the waste generator.

The draft, released last week, has suggested that the bar codes should have details of the institution where the waste was generated and the operator who handles it. The draft has also made provisions for pre bar coded colour differentiated bags for various kinds of waste and to give the institution generating the waste the option to add bar codes to it.

This comes after 20 tonnes of waste was found dumped illegally at Quthubullapur at a dumpsite last month. PCB senior scientist N. Raveendhar says they passed orders to 20 hospitals whose items were found at the dumpsite to go for bar coding.

"We had already made bar codes mandatory in the city to track hazardous waste but we have to check how many have did it,” Mr Raveendhar said.

Though the state boasts of having the first common bio-medical waste treatment plant and eight others which treat 7.782 tonnes of biomedical waste daily, experts say that waste is still ending up in sewage. Top HMWSSB officials are concerned about waste from hospitals clogging the manholes and drains.

The new plan would be applicable to all hospitals, clinics, dispensaries, veterinary institutions, pathological laboratories, blood banks etc.

THE DRAFT, released last week, has suggested that the bar codes should have details of the institution where the waste was generated and the operator who handles it. The draft also provides for colour differentiated bags for waste