The residents of port city and environmentalists have expressed concern over discharge of waste water from port trust hospital to local water bodies causing environmental pollution. Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has asked the chief medical officer, Port Trust Hospital to comply with pollution rules as per the Biomedical Waste (Handling and Management) Rules, 2003 within seven days.
Locals complain that the medical waste from the 100 bed hospital is discharged to water bodies. Every day, some of this dangerous waste is mixed with municipal waste. They don’t even segregate biomedical waste at source and mix it with municipal waste.
Burying the hospital waste in inadequate pits would eventually contaminate the aquifer where residents mostly draw drinking water. Despite frequent reminder and obtaining permission of Board, nothing has been done to put up such plant as per Biomedical Waste (Handling and Management) Rules, allege environmental activists.
A team of the OSPCB had visited the Port Trust hospital on 31January following such complaints and found that there is non-compliance of authorisation from the Board under the Biomedical Waste (Handling and Management) Rules, 2003. During inquiry, it is found that waste water from labour room, OT room, patho lab and wards getdischarged to soak pit within hospital premises without treatment.
Plastic and other waste has been disposed with municipal waste. OSPCB has directed the chief medical officer of port hospital to dispose the plastic waste through authorised recycler. The unit has to provide adequate treatment for liquid effluent.
Chief Medical Officer, port trust hospital Mr Prahllad Panda explained ‘steps are being taken to set up a effluent treatment plant to comply to the requirements set by the Board’. Regional Officer, OSPCB Mr Mukesh Mahaling said compliance has been sought within seven days failing which action will be initiated.