Bombay HC seeks state, MPCB reply on plea alleging disposal of Covid waste at Kalyan dumping ground

Seeking affidavits from the authorities within two weeks, the court has posted further hearing on July 14. (File)

The Bombay High Court has directed the state government, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) to respond to a public interest litigation on disposal of “untreated” coronavirus-related biomedical waste at Adharwadi dumping ground in Kalyan.

Observing that the plea raised an important issue relating to bio-medical waste management, the high court has also directed the pollution control board to inspect the dumping ground and inform if guidelines pertaining to disposal of such biomedical waste were being adhered to.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice N J Jamadar made the observations Tuesday while hearing, through video-conference, a PIL filed by activist Kishor Ramesh Sohoni, through advocate Sadhana Kumar, that sought directives to the KDMC to stop dumping biomedical waste at Adharwadi dumping ground.

The plea stated, “…biomedical waste of Covid-19 hospitals are directly being dumped regularly in the Aadharwadi dumping ground, which is very dangerous considering the spread and intensity of the Covid-19.”

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines mandate all Covid-19-related biomedical waste should be stored separately and labelled and kept in a temporary storage room before being handed over to the authorised staff of the state’s common biomedical waste treatment facility.

Government pleader, P P Kakade, appearing for the state, and advocate Sharmila Deshmukh, for MPCB, has sought time to reply to the plea.

After hearing submissions, the bench observed, “This PIL petition raises an important issue relating to biomedical waste management.”

Seeking affidavits from the authorities within two weeks, the court has posted further hearing on July 14.

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