Nagpur: A private company named Super Hygienic Disposal Company undertakes the works of collection and disposal of Bio-medical Waste Management and Handling from all hospitals (private and government run) on a Private Public Partnership (PPP) model in the city. NMC has contracted this collection and disposal of bio-waste to this company operating since the past last 4-5 years. The disposal is said to be carried out at Bhandewadi Dumping Yard.
Super Hygienic Disposal Company has established a plant where bio-medical waste is crushed, compressed and destroyed at Bhandewadi Railway Station.
This company undertakes the work of collection of Bio-medical Waste Management and Handling from various hospitals (private and government run). The company charges a particular amount from the hospitals.
The company carries out disposal of Bio-Medical Waste and sells some of the waste and earns some money. The company then pays a royalty (on annual basis) to Nagpur Municipal Corporation. This royalty is said to run in lakhs.
Deputy Mayor Satish Holay received information that some unscrupulous people buy some of the bio-medical waste and after cleaning and processing them and sell these products back into the market.
Around 15 days ago, the Deputy Mayor had visited the spot and inspected the works there. While he was on the spot, he saw many vehicles carrying out bio-medical wastes from the company’s office at the Bhandewadi. However, he never stopped any vehicle nor took any action. He was keeping a watch for the last 15 days on all the happenings at the company’s office in Bhandewadi.
On July 1, 2016, suddenly Deputy Mayor Satish Holay took Deputy Commissioner Jayant Dandegaonkar and a team of media personnel to the spot without disclosing the motive. There the team checked all the vehicles standing at the spot. However, they did not find anything there.
The crushing machine is said to be under-repair and appeared as if it was not operational for a long time. The incinerator too was also not operational during their visit. The stock-room of bio-medical waste was dark and filled to the brim. Another hall that was situated beside the stock-room had big plastic packets where goods were sorted and washed. These goods include: Gloves, syringes and Saline-bottles.
However, the very purpose of the sudden raid was defeated since no vehicle was found taking away the bio-medical wastes.
Deputy Mayor Satish Holay then addressed the media personnel and said that this private company undertakes the work of collection of bio-medical Waste Management and Handling from various hospitals (private and government run). They are supposed to wash and crush these bio-medical waste products to prevent their re-use in any way. However, no-crushing activity is observed here in this plant. Goods like Gloves, syringes and Saline-bottles are sorted out and kept in separate bags. After cleaning them they are coming back into the market. No action has been initiated against this Private Company.
He added that the authorities of Nagpur Municipal Corporation should monitor and undertake the work of supervision of their day to day functioning. He claimed that he will have to go through the contract and only then can some suitable action be taken against them. However, he did agree that he did not find any trucks carrying out bio-medical waste products outside the premises during their sudden inspection.
Additional Deputy Municipal (II) Jayanth Dandegaonkar while addressing media personnel said that he was part of the squad that undertook the sudden inspection on the urging of Deputy Mayor Satish Holay. They paid a surprise visit to the Super Hygienic Disposal Company at Bhandewadi. He said that these bio-medical wastes should be scientifically disposed. He added that there are various goods like gloves, syringes, plastic saline/glucose bottles, plastic syringe etc which should be crushed. While answering to a query, He claimed that some goods have to be washed before disposing, while others have to go directly to the incinerator.
Jayanth Dandegaonkar said that they will undertake a detailed study and if they find that there is any evasion of law or commission of any folly, they will certainly take penal action against the owners of the company.
The employees of the company said that the proprietor of this company is in the friend circle of the opposition party in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. The leader of the opposition party and Deputy Mayor Satish Holay has a long standing enmity among them. This act of sudden raid is a result of taking vendetta.
Information about this raid or surprise inspection was kept hidden even from the Municipal Commissioner and Mayor. They knew of the raid but were not told the spot. The Zonal Health Officer or the related zone said that, three years ago, a vehicle carrying bio-medical waste was caught red-handed. Then then Zonal Officer was Ravi Gaikwad. A complaint was also lodged with the police. Someone also claimed that the information of this surprise raid was leaked which prevented the unscrupulous elements from getting caught red-handed.
– Rajeev Ranjan Kushwaha (rajeev.nagpurtoday@gmail.com)
