KOCHI: Currently, a total of 4,61,530 persons are in home quarantine in the state. While 39,676 people are in home quarantine in Ernakulam, 29,507 people are in self-isolation in Thiruvananthapuram. However, many residents from across the state complain about lack of a waste management system for people in home quarentine.
On May 13, Nazia Nazar went into quarantine in her apartment in Thiruvananthapuram, along with her children aged 10 and five years, after she tested positive for Covid. Waste started piling-up at their house due to lack of a proper system to collect waste from homes of those in quarantine.“When I raised my concern to the local body officials, I was told to store the waste and dispose of it after quarantine. But the piled-up waste started to stink, posing a health threat to my children and me,” said Nazia.
This is not just an isolated issue. Though the solid waste generated in institutional quarantine centres are disposed of in a scientific manner by treating it with the disinfectants, the state is yet to come up with a protocol on waste management for people in home quarantine. As per the Central Pollution Control Board, the local authorities must maintain a list of homes where people are in self-isolation and hazardous waste needs to be collected from their doorsteps in separate bags. The guideline also states that such waste should only be handled by trained workers equipped with protective gear. “No such instructions have been given regarding waste management for people in home quarantine,” says another resident.
No system in place
Meanwhile, State Pollution Control Board officials say though Kerala tops the chart in terms of generation of biomedical waste which is 26.95 tonnes per day as revealed in the latest data by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the state has been the best in handling them when compared to other states.
“Initially, the state had just one biomedical waste treatment facility, IMAGE, run by Indian Medical Association in Palakkad with a capacity to treat only about 40 tonnes per day. They scaled up the capacity to 55 tonnes per day to treat the excess biomedical waste generated. Another common biomedical waste-treatment facility with Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Ltd was recently commissioned at Brahmapuram, Kochi, having a capacity to treat 16 tonnes per day. So far, there have been no complaints with handling of biomedical waste in the state. However, more discussions with regard to collection of waste from people in home quarantine have to take place,” said Pradeep Kumar, chairman of the board.
Health hazard
4,61,530 people are in home quarantine in the state as of August 8
39,676 people are in home quarantine in Ernakulam
Haritha Keralam Mission officials say that only 40% door-to-door waste collection is happening now