The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, notified the Bio-Medical Wastes (Management & Handling) Rules, in July 1998 (link) under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, through Gazette notification S.O.630 (E).  These rules regulate the generation, handling, collection, storage, transport, treatment and disposal of BMW.   Some of the salient features of these rules are given below.

1.      These Rules are applicable to all persons who generate, collect, receive, store, transport, treat, dispose or handle bio medical waste in any form.

2.      The State Pollution Control Board / Pollution Control Committee is the prescribed authority for the implementation of the Rules in the States / Union Territories.

3.      Every occupier of the healthcare units generating, collecting, receiving, storing, transporting, treating, disposing and / or handling BMW  in any other manner, except such occupier of clinics, dispensaries, pathological laboratories, blood banks providing treatment  / service to less than 1000 patients per month shall make an application in Form-I to the prescribed authority for grant of authorization.

4.      The prescribed authority shall, on receipt of Form-I make such enquiry as it deems fit, and if it is satisfied that the applicant possesses the necessary capacity to handle the BMW in accordance with the Rules, may grant or renew an authorization, as the case may be.

5.      It shall be the duty of every occupier of the Healthcare unit to take all steps to ensure that BMW is handled without any adverse effect to human health & environment.   Every occupier, where required, shall set up requisite bio medical waste treatment facilities like incinerator, autoclave, microwave system for the treatment of waste or ensure requisite treatment of waste  at a Common Waste Treatment Facility or any other waste treatment facility.

6.      The municipal body of the area shall pick up and transport segregated non-biomedical waste generated in the hospitals and nursing homes, as well as duly treated BMW for disposal at the municipal dump site.

7.      The BMW shall not be mixed with other wastes.  The untreated BMW shall not be stored beyond a period of 48 hours without permission of the appropriate authority.

8.      The occupier of the healthcare unit needs to maintain the records related to the generation, collection, reception, storage, transportation, treatment, disposal and / or any form of handling BMW.

9.      Every occupier / operator shall submit an annual report (of the status of BMW management) to the State Pollution Control Board in Form-II by 31^st January every year.  The State PCB shall send this information in a compiled form to the CPCB by 31^st March every year.