World Earth Day: India must adopt better waste disposal system

New Delhi, Apr 18 (UNI) India must adopt a more systematic waste disposal system in accordance with the WHO specifications to avert major public health emergencies, medical experts said at a conference here.

''Unless waste is disposed off in a more systematic manner by year 2047, we will require landfill of the size of Delhi city in the country,'' said Dr K K Agarwal, president of the Heartcare Foundation of India.

The WHO has given the classification of harazardous wastes as--infectious waste, that contain pathogens, chemical waste, sharps, genotoxic waste, chemical waste, waste with heavy metals, radioactive materials etc.

Of the hospital wastes in India, hardly one percent is infectious, about 15 percent are bio-medical and rest 85 percent are comparable to household wastes, said Dr Agarwal.

Dr T K Joshi, project director, Centre for Occupational Health said the emphasis of medical training in our country has been diagnosis and treatment of diseases. ''Doctors hardly bother to find out and correct the cause of the problems. We need to educate the doctors too that they should enlighten their patients about waste disposal methods,'' he said.

He said there is a need for the spread of awareness among the general public to segregate wastes and dispose them accordingly.

As part of this effort, Dr Agarwal said Heart Care Foundation will organise various programmes to sensitise general public as well as medical fraternity about managing household and medical waste on the occasion of 'World Earth Day' on April 22.

A workshop to spread awareness about adopting environment-friendly practices and procedures would be organised for nurses and paramedical staff while poster competition, 'Nukkad Narak' and a march would be organised to educate school children and housewives on the issue, he said.

UNI