Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to commence an immediate feasibility study for setting up two state-of-the-art biomedical-waste (BMW) treatment plants in the national capital.
Additionally, the Minister requested the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to present a formal proposal rationalizing the BMW service charges for non-bedded clinics, after officials apprised him that current tariffs do not reflect their minimal waste volumes.
He also assured that he would apprise the health minister, Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh about this, and the facts pertaining to the matter.
Sirsa expressed serious concerns and risks due to such waste, and said, “Biomedical-waste piles pose a great threat to public health and air quality, if left untreated. Our current two half-acre units cannot be expected to shoulder the entire city’s 40 MT daily load.”
He further stated, “Under the effective leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Viksit Delhi, we are moving swiftly to plug this capacity gap with innovative, scalable solutions.”
The action came after rounds of review meetings in which officials confirmed that Delhi’s over 3 crore population and its healthcare network already outstrip existing BMW capacity.
Citing comparative data, Sirsa observed that neighbouring Haryana, with a population of about 3.16 crore, operates eleven biomedical waste processing plants, whereas Delhi just has two of such facilities.
“We have inherited significant deficits, but this government is committed to microscopic, multi-tiered interventions,” he added.
The forthcoming plants will not only raise throughput but will introduce modern, environment-friendly technology fully aligned with national emission norms, the minister stated.
Addressing long standing irregularities in BMW collection charges, where non-bedded clinics have been paying the same rates as facilities with up to seven beds, Sirsa has requested the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to place a proposal before the statutory Advisory Committee to lower charges for clinics without bed facilities, ensuring fairness across the healthcare sector.
For the biomedical waste plants, DPCC’s study will assess land availability, transport logistics, technology options and environmental safeguards to ensure optimum, future-proof operations.
Simultaneously, the Health Department and DPCC have been asked to submit daily status briefs covering waste generation, transport scheduling and plant utilization.