The Biomedical Waste Treatment and Disposal Plant at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Jan. 17: Smoke leakage at its Biomedical Waste Management Plant has forced the S.C.B. Medical College Hospital administration to start planning shut down of the incinerator, a move that would necessitate disposal of clinical waste through deep burial method.

Leakage from the duct connecting the incinerator with the chimney has been cause for concern as smoke, gases and toxic ash emitted at low level can contain dioxins which are harmful and cause health problems.

The chemicals released from incinerators, used for medical wastes, is said to cause health problems such as respiratory diseases, diabetes, and hormone disruption.

However, plant’s in-charge Kailash Biswal said: “The ruptures in the duct connecting the chimney had been covered up with tin plates till the shutdown for the required work.” The interim patchwork had been done at three places, one of them two-feet in length.

The incinerator was installed on October 31, 2007, and treatment and disposal of biomedical waste had been outsourced to private parties.

Mediad Marketing Services had been handed over operation and maintenance of the plant within the hospital precincts since June 2010.

Officials said the hospital administration had already sought permission from the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) “to shut down the incinerator for major repair works and deep burial of medical waste”.

On January 12, the hospital superintendent, in a letter to the SPCB member secretary, said: “During repair work, the incinerator will be shut down for 10 days and the alternative method of deep burial may be permitted to dispose such category of waste during the period.”

Hospital superintendent D.N. Maharana said: “The municipal commissioner has been requested to assist in the disposal of clinical waste during this period to facilitate the required work of incinerator.”

As per standards for treatment and disposal of biomedical wastes under the Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, the deep burial site should be distant from habitation, and sited so to ensure that no contamination occurs to any surface water or ground water.

Moreover, it should be relatively impermeable and no shallow well should be nearby. A two-metre deep pit or trench should be dug. It should be half-filled with waste, then covered with lime within 50cm of the surface, before filling rest of the pit with soil. On each occasion, when wastes are added to the pit, a layer of 10cm of soil should be added to cover the wastes. It must be ensured that animals do not have any access to the burial sites.

Officials said the defects were incidentally observed at a time when the hospital had been facing charges of violations related to treatment and disposal, segregation, packaging, transportation and storage before the court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM), Cuttack.

The SPCB had filed the case against the superintendent for violation of Biomedical Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, which attracts action under Section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act. The penalty could entail imprisonment up to five years or fine up to Rs 1 lakh.

The magistrate, after finding a prima facie case, had taken cognisance of the offence and ordered proceeding against the accused.