Sewage plant in Capital Hospital on right track

BHUBANESWAR: The State Appellate Authority on Pollution and Environment has expressed its satisfaction over the progress of sewage treatment plant (STP) for bio-medical waste coming up at Capital Hospital. It is a state-of-the-art plant and also the first such plant in the Government sector. Orissa High Court’s Justice BP Das, who presides over the Authority, visited the Hospital to inspect the progress of the STP. Every health care unit requires authorisation from the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) for disposal of  bio-medical waste generated as per the Bio Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules. While granting authorisation to Capital Hospital in 2009, the Board had prescribed setting up of an STP within six months. But the hospital authorities were reluctant to set up one since it involved substantial expenditure which they felt was unwarranted.  Later, one Shankar Pani represented the matter before the Appellate Authority seeking a direction to the hospital authorities to set up the STP. The Authority directed the Hospital and the PHED to set up the STP immediately.  Since the progress of work was not satisfactory, the Authority directed the Board to file prosecution against the CMO, Capital Hospital, and  executive engineer of PHED. The OSPCB slapped a showcause notice on them after which they appeared before the Authority and informed that they had already started the work for establishment of the STP. Satisfied with their representation, the Authority restrained the Board from filing the prosecution. Soon after, the Hospital and PHED are in the process of installing the STP which is the first of its kind in the State. Besides Capital Hospital, certain private hospitals in the City have STP. The OSPCB, however, has been insisting that the three major Government medical colleges and hospital must have STP. It has granted authorisation to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur, with the condition that they must set up the plant while authorisation has been refused to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, and VSS Medical College and Hospital, Burla, and prosecution against the two initiated as both did not agree to the condition.