The EPCA submitted a report to the Supreme Court Monday which states that a rise in Covid cases caused a “huge increase” in biomedical waste in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and UP. (Representational Photo)

The daily Covid-19 biomedical waste generation in Delhi increased by 15 times in June as compared to the previous month, and the city is presently producing more refuse than its common biomedical waste treatment facilities (CBWTF) can treat, data shared with the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) shows.

The EPCA submitted a report to the Supreme Court Monday which states that a rise in Covid cases caused a “huge increase” in biomedical waste in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and UP.

Delhi has the highest daily share of biomedical waste generation out of the four states — quantity went up from 25 tonnes per day in May to 372 tonnes per day in June, which then fell to 349 tonnes per day in July, as per the data shared with EPCA.

“According to CPCB and state pollution control boards, the huge increase in June (in the four NCR states) was also because biomedical waste from households and quarantine centres was not being segregated,” it states.

In a meeting on July 24, the North and South MCDs told EPCA that they were sending Covid-19 waste from houses and quarantine centres to waste-to-energy (WTE) plants and not to the CBWTF, as per guidelines.

A North MCD spokesperson said, “We are going to look into what has been pointed out and try to follow as far as possible.”