Khanewal  -  A meeting of the District Hospital Waste Supervisory Committee was held under the chairmanship of the Khanewal Deputy Commissioner (DC) Muhammad Ali Bukhari. Participants included the CEO of Health, Tehsil DDHOs, representatives from the Waste Management Company, and the Assistant Director of the Environment.

During the meeting, Assistant Director Sarfraz Anjum informed the committee that both a government incinerator and a private incinerator are operational in Khanewal, effectively disposing of waste from government and private hospitals, as well as laboratories, in a scientifically approved manner. He noted that the Environment Department has issued notices to 11 hospitals for violating Hospital Waste Management Rules, and an FIR has been filed against two junkyards involved in the illegal purchase of hospital waste.

The DC directed all DDHOs to enhance monitoring of laboratories and waste bins in both government and private hospitals within their jurisdictions. He emphasised the need for strict legal action against those failing to properly incinerate hazardous hospital waste and instructed that immediate FIRs should be filed against junkyards engaged in the sale and purchase of such waste. The implementation of the Punjab Hospital Waste Management Rules was highlighted as essential for protecting public health.

Additionally, a meeting chaired by the DC reviewed the actions taken by the Departments of Environment and Agriculture regarding the ban on burning rice and other crop residues. ADCR Abdul Sattar, ADCG Ghulam Mustafa, and AC Khaniwal were also present at the meeting.