The chairman of the state pollution control board (PCB), Mr AN Basu today complained to the chief minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, about state government-run hospitals not following norms required for the discharge and disposal of medical wastes.

Speaking at a programme organised by the PCB to celebrate the World Environment Day, Mr Basu said: "We have set up common medical waste treatment facilities but I have to tell the chief minister that some of the state government hospitals are not adhering to these disposal norms.'

The Environment Ministry said that of 1,730 kilogrammes of garbage collected in Anuradhapura during the Poson season, the major components were plastic and polythene. It was the highest garbage collection even though fewer pilgrims participated, Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said.

There were also 104 kilogrammes of polythene and plastic collected in the Polonnaruwa sacred city.

OLD GOA, JULY 21

Hyderabad, July 21: Top companies such as Maytas Infra, Coromandal Fertilisers, Ramky Enviro Engineers, Delhi-based Jindal Water Infrastructure, and Bengaluru's Terra Fima Biotechnologies are vying to grab a project for segregation of garbage in Hyderabad. Several other firms from Noida, Navi Mumbai, Surat, New Delhi and Chennai are also in the reckoning.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation is setting up the project to segregate garbage at source to keep the city environs free of toxic waste. As many as 22 companies from all over India have come forward to take up the project.

The increasing use of polythene bags are causing a serious threat to environment and creating hazards to public health in the capital city.

Shoppers are seen carrying commodities in polythene bags from markets despite a ban on it imposed by the government.

Lack of awareness among the mass on the demerits of using polythene bags and irregular application of laws are widely responsible for indiscriminate use of polythene bags in urban and rural markets, said environmental experts.

City's environment is now in dire peril due to massive use of polythene, they opined.

MARGAO, JULY 19

By Guilherme Almeida

Collecting garbage on a door-to-door basis in the Commercial Capital is likely to be a costly affair for the cash-starved Margao Municipal Council.
As if the nightmares over Sonsodo weren't enough, the Civic body may have to pool all their resources in view of recent high court directives mandating Civic bodies to undertake door-to-door waste collection in segregated manner.

Hyderabad, July 18: Majority of city hospitals are generating biomedical waste exceeding the limits prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards. A study by the AP Pollution Control Board found that Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences was generating the biggest amount of biomedical waste followed by Gandhi and Osmania General Hospitals.

THE government is discussing a proposal from 22,000 plastic processing units in the country to import a cheap raw material alternative