With a massive increase in the quantum of COVID-19-related bio-medical waste (BMW) from the hospitals, quarantine centers, and laboratories, Karnataka emerged among highest COVID-19 waste generator states in the country, between June and December, 2020, according to a latest research on bio-medical waste.
In state-wise, Maharashtra has highest average generator of COVID-19 waste - 789.99 tonnes per month. Karnataka accounted for 301.55 tonnes.
72% from 10 states
The top ten states contributed 72% of total COVID-19 waste between June and December 2020. This quantity was added to the regular BMW generation, said a study, “Assessment of bio-medical waste before and during the emergency of novel Coronavirus disease pandemic in India: A gap analysis.” It published in Waste Management & Research, journal of Sage.
Karnataka’s COVID-19 BMW was just 84 tonnes in June, which increased to 588.03 tonnes in August, and declined to 218.02 tonnes in December, 2020.
India has generated over 32,996 tonnes of COVID-19 waste in the first wave. This huge amount of waste of medical and non-medical equipment such as PPE kits, masks, gloves, cotton swabs, and shoe covers, needles, syringes, said Rahul Rajak and Jitender Prasad, doctoral students of International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, Ravi Kumar Mahto, associate fellow, Delhi Assembly Research Centre, and Aparajita Chattopadhyay, professor, IIPS, authors of the study.
In India, the annual growth rate of BMW is 7% with a projected estimate up to 775.5 tonnes per day by 2022.
30% improperly disposed off
About 70% of BMW generated in the country was treated in incinerators and 30% was either illegally dumped or found as common garbage on the roads. Small towns and villages do not have the proper facilities to treat the COVID-19 waste; they were either depending on neighbouring cities for BMW treatment or using a deep burial system, they said.
About 50% of the states/UTs have inadequate disposal facilities. The government strictly restricted the practice of deep burials. “However, 23 states/UTs are still using deep burial methods for the disposal of BMW,” the researchers said.