As a consequence of the fight against Covid-19, there is a sharp rise in Bio-medical waste including discarded masks and gloves collected from Covid-19 health centers, containment zones, etc.
Large amounts of disposable masks, gloves, and other medical waste have been generated at various hospitals and health establishments.
The improper handling and careless disposal of Covid-19 related waste poses disposal problems.
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Nearly 160 Tonnes Of Biomedical Waste Generated During Bihar Elections
Nearly 160 tonnes of biomedical waste in the form of gloves, face masks, and empty sanitizer bottles used by polling personnel and voters were generated during the Bihar assembly polls held amid the Covid-19 pandemic, poll authorities in the state have said.
The poll authorities also relied on an inexpensive but effective technique used to track EVMs to ensure that the waste reached public health centers for its onward journey to the incinerator.
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India Biomedical Waste Challenge During Covid-19 Pandemic
The pandemic has led to a surge in the generation of biomedical waste, with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) having reported before Covid-19 times. India produced an average of 609 metric tonnes of biomedical waste (BMW) per day. This number jumped to 778 metric tonnes per day as of August.
India has generated 18,006 tonnes of Covid-19 biomedical waste in the last four months, according to recent data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Nearly 5,500 tonnes of Covid-19 waste was generated across India in September alone.
Participating in in a webinar, UNIDO Representative in India Rene Van Berkel called for putting a stop to the spread of Covid-19 through all possible channels, including from contact with or mismanagement of infectious waste. “This is possible with proven biomedical waste management practices and techniques, and never before has it been so urgent to adopt these”, he said.
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Waste segregation
There is a tremendous rise in waste quantities anticipated from the Covid-19 outbreak from India’s healthcare facilities. All this increase in Bio-medical waste has to be disposed of by about 198 Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Facilities (CBMWTFs) and 225 captive incinerators.
In case, this additional Bio-medical waste makes its way to regular garbage piles across
cities, lives of thousands of sanitation workers will be at risk. They work for little pay and often without any protection or training to handle such hazardous material. Thus, it is a major challenge for authorities in charge of its collection and disposal.
How to #Segregate Biomedical Waste?#BiomedicalWasteManagement #BMWRules2016 #CPCB #CPCBAwareness pic.twitter.com/xxM3AYiqTh
— Central Pollution Control Board (@CPCB_OFFICIAL) August 7, 2019
The Biomedical waste disposal concessionaire directly collects biomedical waste as well as Covid-19 related specific biomedical waste from hospitals, testing centers, and isolation wards, suspected or confirmed patients under home quarantine to dispose of possibly infected waste, such as head caps, masks, and tissues.
Yet adequate awareness for proper collection and disposal of such Bio-Medical waste has been necessary.
Things to follow while disposing of bio-medical waste
(a) COVID-19 Isolation wards
- Keep separate color-coded bins/bags/containers inwards and maintain proper segregation of waste as per BMWM Rules, 2016 as amended and CPCB guidelines for implementation BMW Management Rules.
- Double-layered bags (using 2 bags) should be used for the collection of waste from Covid-19 isolation wards so as to ensure adequate protection and no-leaks;
- Collect and store biomedical waste separately prior to handing over the same CBWTF. Use a dedicated collection bin labeled as “Covid-19” to store Covid-19 waste and keep separately in a temporary storage room prior to handing over to the authorized staff of CBWTF. Biomedical waste collected in such isolation wards can also be lifted directly from the ward into the CBWTF collection van.
(b) Responsibilities of persons operating Home-Care facilities
- As per the CPCB directions, masks and gloves used by persons other than Covid-19 patients should be kept in a paper bag for a minimum of 72 hours prior to disposal of the same.
- Caretakers of Covid-19 patients under home-care shall store the biomedical waste in the yellow-colored bag provided by Urban Local Body.
- General waste from home care or quarantine center or quarantine camp shall be handed over as solid waste to the authorized waste collectors of Urban Local Body (ULB – Municipal Corporation/Municipality).
Effective and sincere Bio-Medical Waste (BMW) Management is mandatory for healthy humans and a cleaner environment. The safe and sustainable management of increasing biomedical waste (BMW) during Covid-19 is an important social and legal responsibility of all stakeholders supporting and financing health-care activities.
The basic principle of good BMW practices is based on the segregation at source, waste reduction, and following the 4Rs concept namely, Reduce, Recover, Recycle, and Reuse.
