NGT slams Medical Council of India, DMER on Kolar Medical College

Kolar: The Karnataka government is in a tight spot with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) coming up with uncomfortable posers like whether the medical college hospital at Kolar has been granted environment clearance and the authorities operational consent or not. The tribunal’s further query about what circumstances have led to admissions to the medical college in the absence of environmental clearance, has the Directorate of Education, Medical Council of India and the state, in uncomfortable postures as well.

The state has sought more time to reply to the question of environment clearance by the NGT. The NGT has further asked the Advance Medical Science and Education Society for the layout plan of the medical college, submitted in 2009, as well as the modified version of it.

In addition to the above, notices have also gone out to the Medical Council of India and its response sought on the stated concerns of environmental clearance and admissions.

However, the Directorate Medical Education, the Medical Council of India and the state governments have till date failed to respond to the queries raised by NGT, despite having been given more than one opportunity.

Counsel Sachin K Verma has however, requested the tribunal for one more opportunity to service a reply; failing which the tribunal is welcome to proceed ex parte against the Medical Council.

Regarding construction deviations in the college and hospital at Kolar, it was made clear that the hospital and college will have to comply to all the conditions mentioned and correct all the errors observed in the inspection report.

In an admittance, the authorities have acknowledged to have installed two STPs of 125 and 256 KLD as against the stipulated installation of STPs 500 KLD. The explanation given for it is less patient strength at the hospital . The report however, instructs that despite the shortfall in the no of patients at the hospital and the sewage waste generated less, the hospital in order to comply with the conditions needs to make up the deficiency of 124 KLD.

Another significant observation made in the report is the lack of authorization for bio medical waste(BMW) treatment facilities.