Manufacturing an incinerator and ensuring its compliance to emission norms are like two sides of a coin, one cannot be separated from the other. An incinerator, poorly designed, does not meet emission norms. On the other hand a carefully crafted incinerator system of correct configuration will ensure total compliance. Cost has no relevance here because we are dealing with the already brittle environment.

Regulatory authorities have made many rules, guidelines, notifications, etc. concerning medical waste and hazardous waste from time to time, keeping pace with advancing population and industrialization and the need for strict control on emissions. The current rules even in India for incinerator operating and emission standards are quite stringent and are very close to Euro norms.

Many things have also been written, statements made, promises and assurances given by many agencies and corporates to provide `a clean environment`. Everyone is pitching in with efforts towards this socio-environmental cause, as `we all would like to leave this world a better place to live in for generations still unborn`.

What is Haat`s contribution here? Haat has been in the forefront of waste management by incineration for more than 2 decades having scaled many heights in the `Design, Manufacture, Supply, Installation, Commissioning, Operation & Maintenance of Incinerators, Thermal Oxidizers, Shredders, Autoclaves, and other allied Waste Management Equipment / Air Pollution Control Systems`.

What are the dictates of various rules in place at different times and what has been the achievement of Haat towards this cause?

1.      In the year 1994 the draft Biomedical Waste (Handling & Management) Rules were released, specifying certain incinerator stack emission values particularly for SPM, NOx and SOx.

2.      The Gazette notification for the above came in the year 1998.

3.      In the year 2016 the latest rules were released.

A smattering of stack emission values of Haat’s incinerators obtained from across the country and abroad over a period of more than two decades will indicate the extent of our contribution for a clean environment.

Between 1996 and 1999:

·        SPM  68, 69, 74 and 84 mg/Nm3 (Limit 150 mg/Nm3)

·        SOx   42, 52, 74 mg/Nm3  (Limit 200 mg/Nm3)

·        NOx  24, 5.6, 0.7 mg/Nm3 (Limit 450 mg/Nm3)

Between 2000 and 2007:

·        SPM   8.1  7.71, 14.02, 13 mg/Nm3 (Limit 50 mg/Nm3)

·        SOx     BDL, 3.66, 39.03, 27 mg/Nm3 (Limit 200 mg/Nm3)

·        NOx     0.24, 0.16, 4.6, 22.6, 22.7, 50, 37 BDL mg/Nm3 (Limit 450 mg/Nm3)

·        CO       BDL (DL = 0.2%)

·        HCl     29 mg/Nm3  (Limit 50 mg/Nm3)

After 2010:

SPM 17.96, 18.2

HCl 24.5, BDL

NOx 20, 8.28, 22.6

SOx 7.12, 20

CO 15

What has contributed to these improved performances?

·        Continuous improvement in the design of our incinerator and air pollution control equipment;

·        Constant vigil and review of emissions vis-a-vis rules and guidelines; and

·        Our quest to meet and exceed customer expectations.