BSL notice to plot holders facilitating running of pvt Nursing Homes

Shanky T

Bokaro ( Jharkhand) :  After making door to door survey and getting information that 60 private plot holders, who were allotted land for construction of houses for residential purpose only but have rented their residential units for running  of nursing homes and hospitals, Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) has issued notices asking the plot holders asking them to close all these nursing homes with immediate effect failing  which the lease of the plots will be cancelled.

Jharkhand Pollution Control Board had drawn the attention of Bokaro Steel Plant after finding that bio-medical waste generated by private hospitals, nursing homes and pathological clinics running in plots of Bokaro steel city were throwing the  bio- medical waste into open mostly dumped near  health centres and pathological clinics.

As all plots are under control and supervision of Bokaro Steel Plant, Dhanbad regional Pollution control board took up this issue with BSL management which on its part served notices to private nursing homes and plot holders asking them to show cause why their lease should not be cancelled. The matter came up after Ranchi High court scolded Jharkhand pollution control board pointing towards health hazards facing the common people after getting information about dumping of bio-medical waste into open in Bokaro and other cities.

After this, Jharkhand pollution control board regional office Dhanbad started surveying  the spots where bio-medical waste were  being dumped and took up the matter with Bokaro steel plant management.

The BSL had served its first notice to plot holders in last week of July 2016  giving 3 months time to remove the nursing homes and pathological  clinics  by end of  October 31, 2016,  but when  it was found that none of the Nursing Homes were closed as bio-medical waste were still being thrown into open, the BSL has now decided to cancel the lease  of these plots.

Twelve nursing homes running in the steel city have replied to Bokaro steel plant management that they were not throwing their bio-medical waste into open and rather sending the same to incinerators for disposal after which BSL has decided to have an on the spot inquiry into the matter for which team of officials of town administration department will be visiting these 12 nursing homes next week  for verification.

When contacted, Director, Dhanbad  Regional Pollution Board (DRPB), R N Chowdhry, stated that  notice has been served on Bokaro steel plant asking them to take action as DRPB would not tolerate  dumping of bio-medical waste into open.

Bokaro steel plant COC Manikant Dhan stated that DRPB had served notice to Bokaro steel pointing towards this problem after which BSL has taken  several  steps to stop it.