NEW DELHI: The second wave of the pandemic has left another big challenge of handling biomedical waste (BMW) generated.
There was nearly 50 per cent jump in Covid-related biomedical waste in just April-May this year and some of the high burden states are struggling to treat it.
The data collated by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) shows that currently average quantity of Covid-related biomedical waste generation during May 2021 was about 203 tonnes per day (TPD), roughly 33 per cent of India’s non-Covid biomedical waste.
The five states that generated about 50 per cent of this waste include Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi and Karnataka.
The peak generation of about 250 TPD was reported on May 10 while peak generation during the first wave in 2020 was in the range of 180-220 TPD.
As the second wave started in February 2021, the Covid-related BMW generation saw a gradual increase in quantity from 53 TPD in February to 203 TPD in May (data available till May 10).
The recently released CSE State of India’s Environment in Figures 2021 projects the lack of enough BMW treatment facilities in the country.
Even as BMW generation in India grew from 559 TPD to 619 TPD between 2017 and 2019, the percentage of BMW treated dropped from 92.8 per cent to 88 per cent.
Bihar (where 69% BMW remained untreated) and Karnataka (where 47% BMW was not treated) are the worst offenders.
According to Annual Report on Biomedical Waste Management in 2019 by the CPCB, the present generation of 619 TPD of BMW may look adequate at national perspective; however, at individual state’s level availability of CBWTFs (Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility) may vary with half of the states use deep burial pits for disposal of BMW.