TNN

Bangalore, Jun 19: Persons showing symptoms of the pandemic H1N1 flu are currently being quarantined at the SDS TB Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases 
on Hosur Road. But this government hospital could well be closed in 15 days' time. It's one of the nine hospitals served closure notices by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) on Thursday for their failure to set up effluent treatment plants to handle biomedical waste.

The hospitals were served a 15-day deadline to close down and directed not to admit any new patients. The KSPCB said the hospitals had not even initiated work on treatment plants despite reminders. The Lok Adalat headed by Justice K L Manjunath on Thursday turned down the government's plea seeking more time.

When the government sought eight more months, Justice Manjunath said: "We don't accept this. We had ordered closure in January. Five months have elapsed. You have not even initiated any steps. We want action. It is the officials at the helm of affairs who have to be taken to task. If you have any plan that these would be set up within two months, we are ready to listen. Otherwise, close these hospitals which release pollutants till arrangements are completed to treat the liquid, biomedical waste."

D Nagaraj, counsel for KSPCB, said: "We've asked them to stop all activities within 15 days and directed BWSSB and Bescom to cut water and power supply."

BBMP commissioner Bharat Lal Meena said of the 29 maternity hospitals run by the corporation, 11 have ETPs and in the others civil works have been completed for setting up of these plants.