Hyderabad: The 1300 beds Osmania General Hospital (OGH) has started work on a waste pipeline excavation project to drain out its waste and garbage into the much polluted Musi River. This project of the OGH has become a cause of concern for public health in the city. The environmentalists fear that this move could pose a risk to public health.
There are 21 Med Specialties and 11 operation theatres in this hospital which conducts about 100 surgeries in a day. But there is not a single waste treatment facility in the hospital. The untreated waste is drained out into the sewerage pipes. But now in order to drain out the waste directly into Musi River, a pipeline project is under execution.
As per the norm, the hospital must treat the waste in a plant before flushing it out in the drainage pipeline.
During the last rainy season, the hospital ceiling was seeping and the rainwater flooded the hospital wards. The Water Works Department officials allocated Rs.13 lakhs to lay a drainage pipeline to drain the liquid waste into the Musi river.
The environmentalists, however, warned the Hospitals authorities that this step could lead to the spread of new diseases. They said, “whenever the river overflows and its water floods low-lying areas, it can lead to diseases.”
The hospital authorities had the foundation stone of this pipeline laid by a local MLA. The work is going on in full swing since Wednesday night.
TSMSIDC Assistant Engineer Jagdish said, “The Osmania General Hospital authorities were warned against connecting the hospital pipeline with sewerage line which would drain directly in Musi River.” He added with regret that the hospital authorities overlooked the warning claiming that there is a Special Engineering Section for the Government hospital. He further claimed that the Water Work Department officials started working on the pipeline without consulting TSMSIDC.
