The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday directed the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike to explain how it is ensuring disposal of used masks and gloves at COVID-19-designated hospitals and residences of COVID-19 patients as per the norms of the Bio Medical Waste Management (BMWM) Rules, 2016 .
Noticing that masks and gloves used by the patients have to be treated as bio-medical waste as per the norms and that it is important for the BBMP to ensure segregation and disposal of materials used by such patients as per the BMWM Rules, 2016, the Court wanted to know how the BBMP was ensuring implementation of the rules across the city.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Aravind Kumar issued the direction during the hearing of PIL petitions related to COVID-19 health management issues.
The Guidelines for Handling, Treatment and Disposal of Waste Generated during Treatment/Diagnosis/ Quarantine of COVID-19 Patients, issued by the Central Pollution Control Board has specified how these used materials will have to handled as per BMWM Rules.
Food security
Meanwhile, the Bench directed the State government to clarify how it is ensuring food security of children enrolled in anganwadis and students covered under the mid-day meal scheme when the schools and anganwadies have remained closed.
The Bench issued the direction after it was contented by advocates representing NGOs that no measures have been taken to supply food or foodgrain to these children since June.
