Kathmandu, July 13:

The Supreme Court today directed the Ministry of Finance to form a committee to look into whether medical waste is being properly disposed of in Kathmandu.

A division bench of Justices Bal Ram KC and Tahir Ali Ansari said the committee should comprise representatives of the Health Ministry, the Ministry for Environment, Science and Technology and hospitals and nursing homes in the Kathmandu Valley. The bench has given the committee four months to complete a study and submit its report to the SC.

“The panel must conduct a study and see how the hospitals and nursing homes have been disposing of waste and see whether they are following international norms,” the order stated.

The bench was responding to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a group of lawyers of Pro Public, including Prakash Mani Sharma. The petitioners have demanded that the court intervene and order authorities concerned to properly manage medical waste.