Smart Regulation of Antibiotic Use in India Blog: Standards for antibiotic residues in the pipeline (October 2019)
Wed 6 November 2019
The primary objective of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (EPA) is to protect and improve the environment generally, whereas the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 (WPCPA) focuses on the prevention or control of water pollution specifically. The WPCPA prohibits the entry of any poisonous, noxious or polluting matter, determined in accordance with prescribed standards, into any stream or well or sewer or on land. Most state pollution control boards (SPCBs) have adopted the effluent standards for ‘Pharmaceutical (Manufacturing and Formulation) Industry’ as laid down by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in exercise of its statutory power under the EPA read with the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986.
Unfortunately, these prescribed standards do not include antibiotic residues. This is extremely problematic in a situation where reports and scholars have observed the development of antimicrobial resistance in the environment, and attributed it to the discharge of untreated antibiotic residues by pharmaceutical industries into water bodies. This has led to a demand for setting of appropriate standards for the treatment and discharge of antibiotic residues, by the concerned statutory body. According to a news report, the CPCB has responded to this call for action by setting up an expert committee to draft standards for antibiotic residue in industrial effluents, and the draft standards are close to finalisation. With the adoption of these standards, not only would the Government of India demonstrate its commitment to addressing the issue but also position itself as a pioneer in the regulatory sphere relating to AMR in the environment.