Violations in 'deep burial' of medical waste by 17 states, UTs: CPCB to NGT
New Delhi - The Central Pollution Control Board has warned states and union territories that fail to comply with biomedical waste disposal rules. The National Green Tribunal is hearing a case about violations in handling, treating, and disposing of biomedical waste by treatment facilities. A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Afroz Ahmad highlighted that the CPCB submitted a report on deep burial of biomedical waste in 17 states and UTs.
Deep burial is a limited disposal method, only allowed in rural or remote areas lacking a Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Facility. Approval from the state authority is required. Out of 9,178 healthcare facilities using deep burial, only 5,715 complied with the rules. The main violations included not maintaining a minimum groundwater level of six meters below the burial pit and operating without proper authorization.
The tribunal noted significant gaps in compliance across various parameters by the states and UTs. For instance, all 111 HCFs in Uttar Pradesh and 33 HCFs in Rajasthan were found non-compliant. The tribunal stated that if compliance isn't achieved within eight weeks, the Centre will issue enforcement directives under the Environment Act, 1986.
The tribunal ordered the CPCB to submit a progress report one week before the next hearing on October 28, 2026.
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