As many as 35 Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) teams conducted surprise inspections of 170 hospitals in the state on 9th July.

The inspections were carried out on the directions of PPCB Chairman S S Marwaha to check compliance status of the provisions of the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 made by the hospitals in Punjab, an official release said on 11th July.

Out of 170 hospitals, 78 hospitals were found complying the provisions of the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016, 91 hospitals were found violating the rules and one was found closed. As many as 25 hospitals were found violating the provisions of the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 in Ludhiana district, seven each in Amritsar and Bathinda district, six each in Kapurthala and Mohali district, five each in Mansa and Sangrur district, three in Jalandhar district, four each in Ropar, Faridkot, Ferozpur, Hoshiarpur district, two each in Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala, Pathankot, Sri Muktsar Sahib, one each in Tarn Taran, Moga and SBS Nagar district.

Violations observed were that some of the hospitals were not having valid authorisation under Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 from the Board, not provided ETP, no proper record of bio-medical waste generation & disposal maintained, improper segregation, Final Storage room not proper, pre-treatment to liquid waste not provided etc. Action against the violating Hospitals will be taken under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

In Punjab, there are around 8,400 healthcare facilities identified by the Board which are disposing their bio-medical waste @ 15-16 TPD to the 5 Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Facilities authorised by the Board located at SAS Nagar, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Sri Muktsar Sahib and Pathankot.