Sambalpur, Feb. 6: Owners of nursing homes located in the municipal corporation area here have decided to send bio-medical wastes to Rourkela for proper disposal.

The decision was taken after the municipal corporation cautioned nursing homes against the dumping of the bio- medical waste in the open and to make arrangements for their proper disposal.

The corporation had also cautioned the nursing homes that action would be initiated against those units, which would be found dumping bio medical waste in open after February 14.

Consequently, the nursing homes' association took the decision to enter into an agreement with the bio-medical waste disposal plant in Rourkela and send the waste there for proper disposal.

"We will comply with the instruction of the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation. We have already taken a decision to enter into an agreement with the bio-medical waste treatment plant in Rourkela. The plant officials will come here tomorrow," said Ashok Singhal, a nursing home owner.

"The nursing homes will have to pay a registration fee of Rs 10,000 to the plant. For transportation of the waste, the nursing homes will pay Rs 2000 a day. Also, the units will have to pay Rs 7.50 per bed each day for the proper disposal of the waste," said he.

Earlier, the city nursing homes sent the bio-medical waste to Burla, where an incinerator has been installed. However, as the capacity to dispose the bio-medical waste of the incinerator decreased, we had to stop sending the waste there.

They stopped taking the medical waste from us since July last year.

"Bio-medical waste is highly infectious. It should be disposed off by burning at 1,200 to 1,500 degrees Celsius. Such waste could create health hazards if not be disposed in a proper way," said an official of the regional office of the State Pollution Control Board here.

"The municipal corporation has taken a good decision by asking the nursing homes to make arrangement for proper disposal of bio-medical waste," said Bikash Hota, a local resident.