NGT pulls up hospitals for failing to manage waste, slaps fine

The green panel also directed medical superintendents of government hospitals to take strict action against the officials responsible for violation of environmental laws.

New Delhi, Aug 18: For failure to manage their bio-medical waste, the National Green Tribunal on Friday slapped fines on several government and private hospitals.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar imposed a penalty of Rs 2 lakh on Shalimar Bagh-based Fortis Hospital and Rs 1.5 lakh each on Max Super Speciality Hospital and Dharamshila Hospital & Research Centre.

Hedgewar Arogya Sansthan, Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya , Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital , Swami Dayanand Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital were slapped with a fine of Rs 75,000 each.

The green panel also directed medical superintendents of government hospitals to take strict action against the officials responsible for violation of environmental laws. On the last date of hearing, the NGT had imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh each on Hotel Leela Venture Ltd, Fraser Suites, Royal Plaza and Mahagun Hotels Pvt Ltd, Rs 2 lakh each on Chhatarpur-based Radiance Motel and Golden Petal Hotel and Banquet and Rs 2.5 lakh on Park Inn.

It had directed them to submit 25 per cent of the fine amount to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the rest of it to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). The NGT had also asked the hotels to set up sewage treatment plants (STPs) and anti-pollution devices within four weeks and ensure that the STPs function properly on a regular basis.

Earlier, the tribunal had imposed a penalty of Rs 7 lakh each on Taj Palace, Taj Vivanta hotels and Zorba Entertainment Pvt Ltd, Rs 5 lakh each on Crown Plaza in Mayur Vihar, The Lalit and Hotel Metropolitan, Rs 3 lakh each on Mayur Vihar- based Holiday Inn and Rs 2.50 lakh on G K Motel Pvt Ltd.

It had also issued notice to major waste generators in the city including five-star hotels, malls, hospitals, educational institutions with hostels and housing societies which had not complied with Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. The NGT order had come after it perused an interim report submitted by a committee set up by it.

The report had recommended action against the erring bodies for improper management and treatment of sewage and lacking mechanism to recycle waste. The tribunal had constituted the committee comprising representatives of the ministries of Environment and Urban Development, Director General of Health Services, Medical Council of India, Delhi Development Authority, municipal corporations, Delhi government, CPCB, Railways and DPCC.

The panel also had four independent experts. It had directed the committee to inspect all five-star hotels, hospitals which have more than 200 beds, cooperative group housing societies with over 300 flats, markets, shopping malls with a built up area of over 50,000 square metres and colleges having hostel accommodating more than 500 students in Delhi.

PTI