PIL filed before Delhi High Court alleging reckless disposal of COVID-19 test swabs

A public interest litigation petition has been filed before the Delhi High Court alleging that "used swabs" are simply thrown away in public places after conducting COVID-19 tests at the office of the District Magistrate, South East Delhi in Lajpat Nagar (Pankaj Mehta vs GNCTD)..Rapid Anitgen Tests for COVID-19 are being carried out over a pile of used swabs, the petitioner has alleged. .A Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan, on Tuesday, asked counsel for Delhi Government to take instructions in the petition preferred by Advocate Pankaj Mehta. .Advocate Sanjoy Ghose informed the court that the protocol for COVID-19 waste disposal has been laid down by the Delhi Pollution Control Board. .The court, however, asked him to take instructions on the exact guidelines that are to be followed. .In his petition before the court, the petitioner has highlighted the callous attitude of the medical professionals in conducting Rapid Antigen testing.."..testing carried out at government offices are mandatory in nature and that people are made to stand in line for hours without observing social distancing norms to get tested and that the test swabs are thrown in a pile where the people are asked to stand and give samples," the petition reads. .It has been argued that such negligence amounts to the violation of right to life as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. .Besides seeking a safety audit at all testing centres across Delhi, a prayer was also made to give directions to the authorities to follow stringent measures of safe disposal of used swabs for Rapid Antigen Testing of COVID-19..The petition has been filed through Advocates Pankaj Mehta and RK Mehta..The matter would be heard next on December 3.