SHILLONG: The High Court of Meghalaya has asked the government to adhere to the treatment and disposal of biomedical waste of COVID-19 patients as per the relevant rules.
The matter will be heard again on May 21.
According to the court, the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 read with the guidelines for handling, treatment and disposal of waste generated during treatment/diagnosis/quarantine of COVID-19 patients, issued by the Central Pollution Control Board, will have to be followed.
During the hearing, the counsels for parties were present through video conferencing.
The division bench comprising Justices W Diengdoh and HS Thangkhiew allowed the plea of the petitioner, High Court of Meghalaya Bar Association, for time to reply to the status report of the government to deal with coronavirus.
The status report dealt with the supply of PPE kits, masks, disinfectants and other equipment such as ventilators. Mention has also been made with regard to testing facilities which have been ramped up by the government by way of deployment of additional machines and also samples that have been sent outside the state to enable results in the shortest possible time.
SP Mahanta, senior counsel for the petitioner Meghalaya High Court Bar Association submitted that as the status report has just been served on May 4, some time is required to examine the same.
Counsel K Paul has raised the issue of disposal of bio-medical waste of COVID-19 patients and also the unavailability of helpline number for nonmedical emergencies. He submitted that the disposal of the medical waste of COVID-19 patients in the electric crematorium is in violation of the Bio Medical Waste Management Rules of 2016, and that the use of the facility for the purpose restricts its availability for the public, inasmuch as, the timings have been fixed only from 3 pm to 9 pm for use by the general public.
A Kumar, Advocate General, in reply to the submissions made by the counsels for the petitioner’s association, argued that the state government is doing all within its capacity to fight and contain the virus and that all necessary protocols are being observed, implemented and enforced.
He submitted that the petitioner association has still to bring on record substantial materials based on cogent facts and that the submissions and arguments made are only on the basis of unverified newspaper reports and that the petitioner association has not obtained any further information on the incidents so reported, as also to the steps taken by the government in this regard.
He submitted that on the suggestions given by the petitioner association, the steps taken and systems that are in place have been highlighted in the status report, which reflects the commitment of the government in alleviating the hardships faced by the people.
