Bio-medical wastes (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998.

The Central Government, to perform its functions effectively as contemplated under sections 6, 8, and 25 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, and has made various Rules, Notifications and Orders including the Bio-medical wastes (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998.

Bio-medical waste means any waste, which is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals or in research activities or in the production or testing of biologicals.

Biologicals means any preparation made from organisms or from microorganisms or product of metabolism and bio-chemical reaction intended for use in the diagnosis, immunization or the treatment of human being or animals or in research activities.

The Bio-medical waste (Management & Handling Rules), 1998 is applicable to all persons, who generate, collect, receive, store, transport, treat, dispose or handle bio-medical waste in any form. The occupier of an institution generating bio-medical waste is required to take all steps to ensure that such
waste is handled without any adverse effect or human health and the environment.

Occupier in relation to any institution generating bio-medical waste, which includes the hospital, nursing home, dispensary, clinic, veterinary institution, animal house, pathological laboratory, blood bank, means a person who has control over that institution or its premises.

Every occupier shall set up bio-medical waste treatment facilities like incinerator, autoclave and microwave system to treat and dispose such waste.

• For human anatomical waste (human tissues, organs, body parts) the recommended treatment is incineration or deep burial.
• Wastes such as needles, syringes, scalpels, blades, glass, etc., are required to undergo chemical treatment, autoclaving or shredding.
• Solid waste items contaminated with blood and body fluids including cotton, dressing, soiled plaster casts, bedding and other materials are to be treated by incineration, autoclaving or microwaving.
• Solid wastes generated from disposable items such as tubes, catheters, intravenous sets are to be disinfected by chemical treatment or microwaving mutilation or shredding.

Bio-medical waste shall not be mixed with other wastes and shall be segregated into containers or bags of different colours like yellow, red, blue and black depending upon the type of waste. The untreated bio-medical waste should not be stored in the premises beyond a period of 48 hours and shall be transported only in such vehicles authorized for the purpose by the Government.

Prescribed Authority

• The prescribed authority for the enforcement of these provisions of these rules shall be the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) in respect of States and the Pollution Control Committees (PCC) in respect of the union territories and all pending cases with the prescribed authority appointed earlier shall stand transferred to the concerned State Pollution Control Board, or as the case may be, PCCs.
• a) The prescribed authority for enforcement of the provisions of these rules in respect of all health care establishments including hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, dispensaries, veterinary institutions, animal houses, pathological laboratories and blood banks of the armed forces under the Ministry of Defence shall be the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services.
• The prescribed authority for the State or Union Territory shall be appointed within one month of the coming into force of these rules.
• The prescribed authority shall function under the supervision and control of the respected Governments of the State or the Union Territory.
• An authorization shall be granted for a period of three years, including an initial trial period of one year fro the date of issue. Thereafter, an application shall be made by the occupier / operator for renewal. All such subsequent authorization shall be granted for a period of three years.
• The prescribed authority shall dispose off every application for authorization within ninety days from the date of receipt of the application.

Advisory Committee
The Government of every State / Union territory shall constitute an advisory committee. The committee will include experts in the field of medical and health, animal husbandry and veterinary sciences and other such related department / organization including NGOs.

Appeal
Any person aggrieved by an order made by the prescribed authority under these rules may, within thirty days from the date on which the order is communicated to him, prefer an appeal to such authority as the State Government / Union Territory may think fit to constitute.

Common Disposal / Incineration Sites.
The municipal Corporations, Municipal Boards or urban local bodies, as the case may be shall be responsible for providing suitable common disposal / incineration site for the bio-medical waste generated in the area under the jurisdictions and in areas outside the jurisdiction of any municipal body, it shall be the responsibility of the occupier generating waste / operator of a waste treatment facility to arrange for a suitable site individual or in association so as to comply with the provisions of these rules.

The environmental considerations must form an integral part of all development and be supplemented by mechanisms to see that environmental safeguards proposed are actually implemented together with systematic monitoring to assess the effectiveness of such precautions in protecting the environment.