NGT seeks fresh CPCB report on Biomedical waste deep burial violations across states
New Delhi, August 7
The National Green Tribunal has directed the Central Pollution Control Board to file a fresh compliance report on the implementation of biomedical waste deep burial rules after being informed that several States and Union Territories continue to violate the prescribed Biomedical Waste standards.
A Bench comprising Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member Dr. Afroz Ahmad passed the order while hearing a matter relating to the disposal of biomedical waste through deep burial. The Tribunal listed the matter for further hearing on October 28, 2026. Biomedical Waste
During the hearing, the Tribunal took note of a compliance report filed by the CPCB on August 4, 2026. The report stated that 17 out of 36 States and Union Territories are currently using the deep burial method for disposing of biomedical waste. It also pointed out that many healthcare facilities (HCFs) were not following the requirements laid down under the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016.
According to the report, a total of 9,178 healthcare facilities use deep burial for biomedical waste disposal. Out of these, 5,715 facilities were found to be fully compliant, while the remaining showed violations of one or more prescribed standards.
The CPCB report highlighted several common violations. These included failure to maintain the required groundwater level below burial pits, lack of proper authorisation for burial sites, non-maintenance of records, burial pits being located too close to habitation or water sources, inadequate supervision during burial, and failure to ensure that animals could not access the burial sites.
The report also noted that CPCB conducted inspections of 120 healthcare facilities across the States and Union Territories using deep burial. Only 16 facilities were found fully compliant with all the prescribed standards, while the remaining showed violations of different requirements under the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules.
Counsel appearing for the CPCB informed the Tribunal that the Board has already sent communications to the concerned State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) in the States and Union Territories where violations were found. The CPCB further stated that if compliance is not achieved within eight weeks, it will issue directions under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 against the defaulting authorities.
Recording the submission, the Tribunal directed the CPCB to place a further compliance report on record at least one week before the next date of hearing.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Only 16 out of 120 healthcare facilities fully compliant? That's just 13%! Shameful. Our hospitals are supposed to be places of healing, but they are endangering communities with improper waste disposal. The SPCBs need to be held accountable too, not just the HCFs. Time to get serious about this.
The issue is that in rural areas, deep burial is sometimes the only option available due to lack of incinerators. Instead of just pointing out violations, the government should provide support and infrastructure to smaller healthcare facilities. Banning without alternatives will never work. 🙏
Every time I read such news, I worry about the villages near these burial sites. Groundwater contamination is no joke. The rules exist for a reason - maintaining distance from water sources and habitation is non-negotiable. The NGT should actually penalize the defaulters publicly to set an example.
As someone who works in healthcare management, I can say that compliance is expensive. Many small clinics simply don't have the budget for proper waste management. But that's not an excuse. Maybe the government should consider subsidizing waste treatment for small facilities? Just a thought.
The negligence is real. I have seen burial sites right next to residential areas in some states. The authorities only act when NGOs or citizens file petitions. The government should conduct surprise inspections instead of giving prior notice. Only then will we see actual improvement. 💯
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