The BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) has said that average daily biomedical waste has risen to 19,117 Kgs in the month of May. The waste produced in March and April was 11,344 Kg and 12,747 Kg respectively. This goes to show that biomedical waste has gradually seen an increase over the past two months.
A majority of the waste is generated from hospitals, but a significant amount of waste is also generated by BMC’s COVID-19 care facilities across the city. Biomedical waste can include anything ranging from laboratory waste, gloves, laundry, used sharp objects like needles or scalpels, swabs, as well as instruments that may have come in contact with blood. Disposable PPEs used by sanitation and cleaning staff are also added to the same biomedical waste pile.
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The authorities also mentioned that solid waste generated by malls have fallen from 6,300 tonnes per day to 4,300 tonnes, which is understandable given that almost every shopping complex in Mumbai is currently shut down.
An official with the BMC said that all biomedical waste from quarantine facilities and hospitals are collected in a compactor. There’s also a requirement for such biomedical waste to be collected in a black garbage bag.
Post this, the waste is driven down to the Deonar dumping ground where some of the waste is incinerated while some non-biomedical waste is disinfected and buried deep under the earth. “All those involved in these collection works, namely, labourers, driver and cleaner, are provided disposable PPE kits for their safety," a BMC official said.
With the virus still raging on in Mumbai, civic authorities may have to contend with more solid and biomedical waste in the weeks to come.
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