File counter affidavits: Court to govt, pollution control board

ALLAHABAD: Taking a serious note of the flouting of rules in disposing of bio-medical waste by medical centres in the state, the Allahabad high court has directed the State Pollution Control Board and the state government to file their counter affidavits giving details with regard to the steps taken for compliance of the bio medical waste (Management and Handling) Rules 1998 and also the details of the healthcare facilities/units which are not complying with the said rules.

The order was passed by the division bench of chief justice DY Chandrachud and justice Pradeep Kumar Singh Baghel on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition of Shabi Haider Jafferey espousing the public cause regarding hospitals, nursing homes etc of Agra for not complying with the waste management rules.

According to the petitioner, out of 3125 health care facilities in the state, only 998 were complying with the norms relating to bio medical waste treatment and disposal.

The orders were passed in consonance with an earlier direction by this court on another PIL petition filed by Lawyers’ Civilian Society, Allahabad. The court had then passed an order dated 3/05/2012 while taking a serious note with regard to the non-compliance of the waste management rules by the state gover nment and the State Pollution Control Board.

The court observed that the state government and the medical bodies in the state took no action to comply with either the 1998 rules or the new rules framed in 2011.

So the court has directed the state government to take immediate steps and comply with the 2011 rules.

The state government has also been directed to constitute an advisory committee and also to constitute a district level monitoring committee. The division bench while entertaining the PIL of Jafferey directed it to be connected with the earlier PIL of 2012. Both petitions have been listed for a joint hearing on December 12.

ORDERS WERE PASSED IN CONSONANCE WITH AN EARLIER DIRECTION BY THIS COURT ON ANOTHER PIL PETITION FILED BY LAWYERS’ CIVILIAN SOCIETY, ALLAHABAD