BENGALURU: Though there are 25 biomedical waste treatment facilities across the state, a huge chunk of the 54 tonnes of biomedical waste generated on an average per day is not disposed of in a safe and environment-friendly manner.
In the interest of public health, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has now decided to demarcate specific service areas so that waste disposal can be monitored more effectively. Speaking to Express, KSPCB chairman Lakshman said there are 26,700 medical establishments spread across the state. These include hospitals, blood banks, clinics and medical camps.
“We felt there is a need to fix responsibility as medical waste does not get collected at some establishments as there is no fixed agency collecting it. Clinics and particularly smaller hospitals end up disposing medical waste along with municipal solid waste,” he said.
There is also an undercutting of prices by one firm to collect the medical waste at some points before another does, an official source said. “This is common in cities like Bengaluru, Belagavi and Mysuru,” he added.
Bengaluru has three waste disposal facilities located at Hosakote, Dobbspet and Harohalli. Biomedical waste is collected, treated and reduced to ash at these places. “The 198 wards in the Bengaluru will be divided into three zones so that each facility will be responsible for servicing specific areas,” he informed.
The decision was taken recently by the Chairman, Member-Secretary and Senior Environmental Officer, along with three members of the Pollution Board.
Biomedical waste disposal in the state has shot up from an average of 32 tonnes per day just 10 months ago to 54 tonnes a day presently. The reason for this were the notices issued by the Board to various medical establishments in connection with various violations, he added.