JOIN USIn a bid to avoid the possible spread of coronavirus through biomedical waste, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has tightened rules for incineration of waste from hospitals and residences of the quarantined individuals, by reducing the maximum number of hours for disposal from 48 to 24.
After issuing the revised rules, the pollution control board has told its officials and the district-level environment officers to monitor the disposal of such waste regularly. The board’s measures got a fillip with the chief secretary instructing the deputy commissioners to follow the rules during a video conference.
KSPCB Member-Secretary Basavaraj Patil told DH that more than 30 tonnes of biomedical waste has been disposed scientifically over the last one month. “From April 17 to 21, Karnataka has incinerated 14.19 tonnes of biomedical waste of which 4.63 tonne came from quarantined houses. From the start of the lockdown to April 16, 16.15 tonnes of such waste was incinerated,” he said.
Officials decided to keep separate data on medical waste from quarantined houses to keep track of the source. In the last five days, hospitals in Bengaluru Urban produced 2.2 tonnes of biomedical waste while 95 kg was collected from quarantined houses. The Bengaluru Rural hospitals accounted for 76 kg and there was no waste from quarantined houses.
“There are 26 Common Biomedical Facility Centres in the state strategically located to ensure that facility is available for officials to dispose of such waste by travelling not more than 75 km,” Patil said, adding that follow-up meetings will be held with officials at district administration level as well as urban local bodies to ensure the rules are being followed.
The 26 centres have the capacity to dispose of 90 tonnes of biomedical waste per month against the average output by Karnataka of 50 tonnes.