Second wave has burgeoned amount
According to data sourced from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Karnataka is currently generating 16.91 tonnes per day (TPD) of bio-medical waste. Karnataka stands fifth in the country after Kerala-23.71 TPD, Gujarat-21.98 TPD, Maharashtra-19.02 TPD and Delhi-18.79 TPD. The lowest TPD was reported from Tripura 0.02 TPD. In the entire country, 203 TPD was generated (between January to May 10).
The biomedical waste is generated mainly during the treatment and diagnosis of covid-19 patients. This waste has to be treated and disposed of in a scientific manner and in line with provisions under Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016. A comparison of the monthly BMW figures in Karnataka shows that the BMW generated this month is the highest since August 2020, when Karnataka was witnessing the peak during the first wave of the pandemic.
With 16.91 tonnes per day, Karnataka is now generating 507.3 tonnes per month.
A comparison of the previous month’s figures shows that Karnataka had generated 218.02 tonnes in December 2020; 210.99 tonnes in November, 218 tonnes in October, 168 tonnes in September and 588 tonnes in August. A majority of the BMW is from Bengaluru hospitals.
As per the information submitted by Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and other pollution control boards, the average quantity of covid-19 related biomedical waste generation during May 2021 was estimated to be at 203 TPD in the country.
In India, the peak generation of about 250 TPD was reported on May 10. The earlier peak generation in the year 2020 was in the range of 180 to 220 TPD. Despite more patients, there was no proportional growth in the quantity of covid-19 biomedical waste generated, mainly due to proper segregation of waste.
