The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has mentioned that though small clinics are not covered under the Biomedical Waste (Handling and Management) Rules, 1998, it is essential to create a mechanism for them so that the biomedical waste they generate is also treated properly. If the clinics do not dispose of such hazardous waste safely, the Corporation, which is their licensing authority, should cancel their licences.
There are over 2,000 private clinics in and around the city and most dispose of their biomedical waste comprising syringes, needles, cotton dressing and used injection vials along with regular municipal waste — a practice experts say poses hazards for conservancy workers and leads to toxicity in the soil and groundwater.
The Board has asked the Corporation to first verify if such clinics are disposing of their biomedical waste through any common treatment facility, and if not, refuse to clear regular solid waste from their premises as a first step towards penalizing them.
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