Sanitation workers in Gurugram Sector 23A complained of improper disposal of biomedical waste (BMW) during a cleaning drive on Thursday. Used syringes, dressings, gloves, and scalpels were found openly dumped along the roadside in the Om Vihar locality, according to collection agents, who said the failure to segregate biomedical waste from domestic waste poses a serious health risk.Under the 2016 rules, biomedical waste must be segregated into specific colour-coded categories before collection by a dedicated agency authorised by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB). (Representational image/HT Photo)A sanitation worker, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the hazardous waste was found at two to three sites along the boundary wall of a public park in Om Vihar. “Nearby clinics are openly dumping their waste and violating the disposal norms mandated under the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016,” the worker said.Under the 2016 rules, biomedical waste must be segregated into specific colour-coded categories before collection by a dedicated agency authorised by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB). The system categorises waste into yellow (human tissues, dressings, and contaminated waste), red (plastic items like IV tubes and catheters), white (sharps, including needles and scalpels), and blue (glassware and metallic implants).Once collected, the waste is transported via specialised trucks from registered facilities to a Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility (CBWTF) at Pali in Faridabad.Bhanwani Shankar Tripathi, a representative of the Sector 23A Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA), said the dumping of clinical waste near local informal settlements highlights major gaps in waste collection from smaller clinics and health units.“Most of these sanitation workers are inadequately equipped to handle such hazardous materials. The lack of gloves, masks, protective boots, and proper training leaves them highly vulnerable to serious infections,” Tripathi said, calling the situation “deeply concerning.”Responding to the open dumping—which was caught on camera by local residents—a spokesperson for the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) said that an inter-departmental meeting had been held in March to address the issue. The meeting, which included MCG, HSPCB, the Chief Medical Officer of Gurugram, and representatives from the Indian Medical Association (IMA), was called after biomedical waste was previously discovered at the corporation’s secondary disposal site in Beriwala Bagh, Sector 11.“The matter will be taken up with the concerned department, and strict action will be taken against clinics found guilty of openly disposing of medical waste in residential areas,” the MCG spokesperson said.A senior HSPCB official confirmed they are looking into the incident and that an investigation will be launched to identify the violators. Currently, a private agency is contracted to handle the collection and disposal of biomedical waste across Gurugram.