KOCHI: Kochi Corporation plans to set up its own biomedical waste treatment plant. The council meeting on Wednesday gave administrative sanction for the plant and also entrusted two more private agencies to collect biomedical waste from households.
“The council approved setting up a 3-tonne capacity biomedical waste treatment plant. As per our survey, less than 3 tonnes of biomedical waste is received within corporation limits,” said T K Ashraf, health standing committee chairman.
In a tie-up with the corporation and Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Ltd (KEIL), Aakri currently collects biomedical waste from households at a subsidised rate of Rs 12/kg. To enhance the collection and disposal of domestic biomedical waste and sanitary napkins, four agencies have been shortlisted. “Aakri alone has been handling waste collection within corporation limits. Now, Green Evotech and Aravind Associates have also been approved for collecting biomedical waste at subsidised rates,” said Ashraf.
Residents have raised concerns that with only a single agency involved, waste collection was being delayed. “With more areas to cover, the agency can collect waste from an area only twice or thrice a month,” said Smitha Nair, a city resident.
Meanwhile, Aakri officials said that if more agencies pitch in, the disposal of biomedical waste will be manageable in the city. “Besides door-to-door collection, we also have collection camps set up at the division level for the public to hand over segregated biomedical waste,” said an official.