KOCHI: Kochi-based Aakri App, a solutions provider for disposing of biomedical waste, is planning to install smart bins in the city for collecting biomedical waste, a move that will benefit scores of families, mainly those having bedridden patients at home.
At present, Aakri, as part of a tie-up with the Kochi corporation and Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Ltd (KEIL), collects biomedical waste from households at a subsidised rate. “We have plans to set up three smart biomedical bins in the city by September. We are in talks with Maker Village and will install one bin soon on pilot basis,” said C Chandrashekhar, founder of Aakri App.
He said on an average, they collect 2 to 2.5 tonnes of biomedical waste from the corporation limits every day. “The city has a sizeable floating population. Hence, door-to-door collection will not suffice,” Chandrashekhar said, explaining the motive behind the plan.
“We are looking to set up smart bins having a capacity of 500kg each, at three prime locations under the corporation’s limits. They will allow people to weigh the biomedical waste and pay the fee,” he said. Chandrashekhar said it will be the first initiative of its kind in India.
The March 2 fire outbreak at the corporation’s Brahmapuram waste dumpyard and the resulting smoke that choked Kochi for over a week had revealed the lapses in waste management, and turned out to be an eye-opener for policymakers as well as local bodies.
“People have now started coordinating with the local bodies concerned for scientific handling of waste with source-level segregation. However, biomedical waste remains a concern, as just one private agency, Aakri, is collecting it. We are trying to rope in more private agencies for biomedical waste management,” said Mayor M Anilkumar.
“We are also considering setting up a biomedical waste treatment plant. Discussions are on at the health standing committee, and they will submit a proposal soon,” Anilkumar said. Presently, Aakri collects biomedical waste from the corporation limits at a subsidised rate of Rs 12 per kg and from local bodies such as Tripunithura, Thrikkakara, and Kalamssery at Rs 45 per kg.
“Our employees collect biomedical waste from households on weekdays, and camps are set up at divisions on weekends to hand over the waste. In July, we collected around 100 tonnes of biomedical waste,” Chandrashekhar said.The collected waste is sent to KEIL’s biomedical waste treatment plant at Ambalamedu. Besides Kochi, Aakri provides services in Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur.