Effluent treatment plant order rattles hospitals

Hospitals have claimed that MPCBs demand will pose several problems.

A directive of the Central Pollution Control Boards (CPCB) to create a separate Effluent
Treatment Plant (ETP) for all 100-bed or more hospital has created a stir in both public and
private hospitals, as many are claiming that in an already space-starved city like Mumbai,
treating sewage in a hospital is not feasible.
Hospitals effluent treatment essentially involves treating of waste water and other forms of
liquid waste, which includes water generated from washing floors, vehicles, or scrubbed liquid
effluent. According to the CPCB, the infected sewage generated in a hospital is prone to three
kinds of contamination bacterial, nuclear and chemical wastes which has to be disinfected
at the source to avoid its mixing with general municipal waste.
Maharashtra Pollution Control Boards (MPCB) sub-divisional head, Mumbai region, Amar
Durgule, said the letter for setting up an ETP was sent to all the hospitals in the state around three
months ago. The CPCB gave directions that sewage should be treated in a plant in the hospital
itself. We have advised that the hospitals to reuse the disinfected water in gardens or in toilets,
said Durgule.
According to experts, the CPCB was prompted to take this step after several cases of hospital
sewage contaminating general waste were reported.
While CPCB aims to treat hospital and municipal waste separately, several hospitals have written
to the MPCB complaining that the move is not practical. Since our hospital is a heritage
structure, we have very old pipelines which will have to be redirected towards a point for
treatment. The cost of setting up such a facility could go up to Rs 60 to 70 lakh, said Dr Minnie
Bodhanwala, chief executive officer at Wadia hospital, who is waiting for a reply from MPCB
for the same.
Hospitals have claimed that MPCBs demand will pose several problems. Krishnakant Mehta,
CEO of Mumbais Association of Hospitals under which 40 hospitals are registered said,
Few hospitals have technical problems in setting up an ETP. Large hospitals have several
discharge lines and they all need to be directed towards one treatment point. It is quite
cumbersome.
Some hospitals in South Mumbai like Jaslok, Breach Candy, Hurkisonndas, Bombay, and Chetali
already have ETP facility on their premises. However, of the 74-odd 100-plus bed hospitals in
the entire city, over 70 per cent do not have an ETP facility.
A senior official in the Sewage Operations department in the civic body said the CPCBs demand
is vague and not practical. In a meeting held with the municipal commissioner, the sewage
operations department clarified that setting up an ETP in civic hospitals is not feasible. The
plant needs land availability, which is a big issue. We also have to make sure that the plant is in

an isolated area, otherwise the sewages stink will bother patients and staff, the official said. The
municipal commissioner is yet to hold a meeting with MPCB to discuss the issue.
Dr Amar Supate, Principle Scientific Officer at MPCB, told Newsline, We cannot create an
exception for few hospitals since this is a Centre-initiated direction. We did receive letters from
hospitals over problems with ETP, but they will have to work out a solution on their own.
Currently, the city has seven terminal stations where both municipal and hospital sewage is
treated.

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