Selected news

Ban on dumping solid waste in Buddha Nallah

Priyank Bharti, the acting District Magistrate, has passed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), prohibiting people from dumping solid waste in Buddha Nallah. The acting DM said in these orders that information has been given to him that some people are dumping solid waste in Buddha Nallah, which endangers the life and health of the society at large. He said that in the interest of public safety, it is necessary to prevent the dumping of solid waste in the nallah.

Source: Indian Express, New Delhi, July 27, 2007

UPPCB gets tough on medical waste disposal

The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), along with the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC), is all set to crack the whip on hospitals that do not dispose of bio-medical wastes in accordance with the Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules. The UPPCB team recently visited some city hospitals and found them blatantly violating the norms. Member Secretary, UPPCB, C S Bhatt that private hospitals have been asked to make appropriate arrangements for disposal of bio-medical wastes within a month’s time. “The hospital waste, if not dumped properly, poses a major health hazard. Notices in this regard would soon be issued to hospitals. The LMC has also been asked to take stock of the situation,” said Bhatt. He, however, said, "If hospitals and nursing homes are dumping their wastes along with domestic waste, it is a matter of serious concern. I would gather information from the department and then decide on the course of action,” he said. Meanwhile, an LMC official said, “The LMC incinerator is under-utilised as the volume of the bio-waste is too little. Incinerator works only for five hours a day. It's the responsibility of the NSA and the ZHOs to check the waste being dumped by city hospitals.”

Source: India Express, New Delhi, July 27, 2007

BARC tech turns urban waste into organic manure

Kitchen waste, stale food, split milk, leftovers from hotels and vegetable refuge, which is becoming a huge and mounting burden on urban civic bodies, could no longer be a threat to the urban environment. In fact, it can be a good source of well-balanced organic manure offering excellent top soil material to the farmers, thanks to a technology developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). If segregated well, this waste could do wonders for the farmers practicing organic farming, said Mr. Sharad P. Kale of Nuclear Agriculture and Biotechnology Division of BARC. While discussing various arguments and counter arguments on the advantages of organic food, he referred to the concerns that organic food could be less safe than non-organic food as the former increased the risk of exposure to biological contaminants and food-borne diseases.

Source: The Hindu Business Line, New Delhi, July 27, 2007

Climate panel to meet in August; help frame policy

India will move a little closer to deciding its stance on climate change ahead of United Nations –sponsored discussions this December, when an expert scientific committee meet on 6^th August in Delhi. The December meeting in Bali (Indonesia) will decide on a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol that expires in 2021. The protocol mandates that its signatories cut emissions in an effort to stem global warming. At the August meeting, the committee, chaired by Mr. R. Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, will discuss the country’s vulnerability to climate change, identify research areas to asses the impact of human-induced climate change and suggest measures to mitigate this. These will play a critical role in forming India’s stance for the Bali meet.

Source: Hindustan Times, New Delhi, July 27, 2007

Badal Calls For Time-bound Pollution Monitoring Policy

Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal on July 25, 2007 called for formulation of a comprehensive policy to check the pollution of rivers in the state. He asked the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to frame and implemented guidelines in this regard and ensure regular and time bound monitoring of the anti-pollution steps. Presiding over the meeting here in Chandigarh on July 24, 2007, Badal asked the pollution board officials to install sewage treatment plants in the state. The Chief Minister asked the Chief Secretary to hold a joint meeting of the industries, local bodies and PPCB to work out the modalities to control the menace of pollution effectively because the effluents discharged in the river and drains are not treated properly thus posing a threat to both aquatic life as well as humans.

Source: Financial World, Chandigarh, July 25, 2007