Tariq exposes a serious environmental hazard near the Wular Lake
Bio-medical Waste Dumped Near Wular Lake
Tariq Rasool (Rising Kashmir)
Bandipora: Flouting the guidelines of bio-medical waste management, the Municipal Committee here is dumping the trash generated at district hospital and health centres near the world famous Wular Lake.
The district lacks the bio-medical waste treatment plant forcing the Committee to dump the material near the lake, which according to experts was not only polluting the water body, but was dangerous for the local populace.
“The waste gets mixed with other solid trash disposed in the Lake vicinity, which most of the times gets drained into the water body,” an environmentalist told Greater Kashmir adding the pollution level in the lake had shown a steep rise.
According to the health experts, the bio-medical waste if not disposed off properly could be misused. “The waste could be collected by rag pickers and misused later on,” health experts warned adding that sharp waste could be dangerous if picked by children.
He said the area lacks the facility for scientific disposable of bio-medical waste. “Despite the fact that many private nursing homes and chemists shops have come up in the area, the government has failed to establish a treatment plant,” he said.
An official working in the district hospital told Greater Kashmir that there was no plan to install an incinerator.
District Executive Officer Bandipora Municipality, Abdul Rashid Shah said “we have sent a proposal to the government for setting up of dumping site.” “All the bio-medical waste will be disposed off scientifically after setting up of the dumping site,” he said.