ISLAMABAD (MNN); The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has taken action against a veterinary clinic in Islamabad’s upscale Sector E-7 following allegations that potentially hazardous veterinary and surgical waste was being improperly disposed of in a green area and mixed with regular municipal waste.
The action was taken after complaints emerged regarding the alleged disposal of used gloves, syringes, medicines and other materials generated during the treatment, check-ups and surgical procedures of animals.
According to the information available, the waste was allegedly being dumped in or near a municipal skip located at the end of Street 10 alongside Hill Road, close to the green area adjoining Faisal Mosque.
Sanitation workers reportedly told officials that waste from the clinic was being disposed of at the location regularly. Visuals from the site allegedly showed used gloves, syringes, medicines and other potentially contaminated material mixed with ordinary household and municipal waste, raising concerns about public health, sanitation and compliance with waste-disposal regulations.
Taking serious notice of the complaint, Municipal Corporation Islamabad (MCI) Chief Officer Dr Anum Fatima supervised action against the clinic. A CDA Senior Special Magistrate subsequently issued a challan to Rana Pets Clinic, owned by Dr Akmal Mazhar Rana, and summoned the concerned party to appear on September 2.
Sources said the action was initiated following directions from the CDA administration and the Islamabad Capital Territory authorities. Officials reportedly collected and took into custody the suspected veterinary and surgical waste found in the green area for further action.
The challan was issued under various municipal and waste-management laws, including Sections 20/23 of the Municipal Bye-Laws 1969, Sections 3/5 of the Islamabad Cleaning Regulation 1979, and relevant provisions, including Sections 22/25, of the Islamabad Capital Territory Solid Waste Management Regulations 2023.
The incident has raised serious questions about the collection, transportation and disposal of infectious or potentially hazardous waste generated by veterinary clinics operating in residential and commercial areas.
Residents expressed concern that the alleged dumping of blood-stained gloves, used syringes and other surgical material in open or public waste areas could pose health and environmental risks if not handled and disposed of according to prescribed safety procedures.
The case has also renewed calls for stronger monitoring of medical and veterinary waste disposal in Islamabad, particularly in residential neighbourhoods where commercial establishments operate close to homes, public spaces and green belts.
Separate complaints have also been raised regarding alleged encroachments, structural alterations and unauthorized commercial activities around the clinic and other businesses in Shaheen Market. These allegations, however, are separate from the waste-disposal case and would require independent verification and action by the relevant authorities.
Residents have urged the authorities to conduct a comprehensive inspection of commercial establishments in the area and ensure strict compliance with municipal, building, environmental, sanitation and public-safety regulations.
The action against the veterinary clinic has highlighted a broader question: where and how is potentially infectious veterinary waste being safely disposed of in Islamabad?
The case is expected to come up before the relevant authority on September 2.
