Biomedical waste crisis | Current Affairs GD Topic

WHAT IS BIOMEDICAL WASTE?

Biomedical waste is defined as any waste, which is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunisation of human beings or animals, or in research activities pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of biologicals. It follows the cradle to grave approach which is characterization, quantification, segregation, storage, transport, and treatment of BMW. BMW treatment and disposal facility means any facility wherein treatment, disposal of BMW or processes incidental to such treatment and disposal is carried out.

In March 2021, Congress lawmaker Amme Yajnik demanded that the government take measures for better disposal of bio-medical waste, citing mishandling by the municipal agencies. On Wednesday, with India reaching the 3 lakh daily case count, the waste situation remains the same, according to Suneel Pandey, Director, Environment and Waste Management Division, The Energy and Resources Institute. “CPCB has given guidelines to discard the biomedical waste generated in Covid camps, and Covid-related material such as gloves and masks in households.

But local bodies are not equipped to handle biomedical waste, and even the public doesn’t have enough knowledge about segregating it.” In December 2020, the daily average quantity of biomedical waste (BMW) generated in the country was estimated to be 146 tonnes per day (TPD). In the same month, Delhi generated 321 TPD of BMW. And now that cases have skyrocketed, the load on the two government Common Bio-Medical Treatment Facilities would have automatically increased.

CURRENT CHALLENGES ON BIOMEDICAL WASTE CRISIS

Inadequate infrastructure

As the COVID-19 cases continue to sore, the present 198 Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Facilities (CBMWTFs) and 225 captive incinerators in India are nowhere near to handling the ever-increasing biomedical waste generated on a dayto-day basis. The country’s infrastructure which was already insufficient preCOVID has now crippled under the exponential BMW generated during COVID-19. The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority recently submitted a report to the Supreme Court of India showing that the BMW had risen from 25 tonnes/day in May to 349 Tonnes/day in July. Similar condition has been seen in Mumbai where BMW generated has essentially doubled from June-August.

Safety Concerns of Sanitation Workers – The five million sanitation workers in India forming the frontline warriors perform invaluable duties of cleaning the streets, collecting and disposing garbage, emptying septic tanks as well as handling biohazards. Almost all the sanitation workers reside in informal settlements with high population density. Hence, the risk of spread of the deadly virus becomes multifold.

The advisory titled Safe Management of Water Supply and Sanitation Services during COVID-19 crisis, April 2020 released by MoHUA based on international guidelines has proven to be ineffective as it misses the local context. No PPE, rubber gloves, reusable mask, gumboots, or safety jacket have been provided uniformly to the sanitation workers who are shockingly forced to perform their duties without adequate gear.

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Environmental pollution

When the biomedical waste is not properly segregated from the originating points, it causes a domino-like effect on the environment which proves dangerous to human beings, animals, as well as soil and water sources.

Improper segregation and disposal of biomedical waste can lead to the contamination of groundwater sources which then consumed by humans and animals can cause serious infections. Improper on-site or off-site incineration leads to environmental hazards associated with the contamination of air through dangerous airborne particles. Air pollutants which get disseminated over huge areas of inhabited land have the potential to trigger a number of illnesses.

Plights of the ‘invisible Indians’ – A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has indicated that the virus stays on cardboard for about 24 hours and on plastics and stainless steel for about 72 hours. An estimated ragpickers’ workforce of 1.5 to 4.0 million in our country performs waste collection, sorting and recycling. If not informed or their safety issues addressed, their health can be put at risk.

Recent Data On Biomedical waste crisis

In December 2020, the daily average quantity of biomedical waste (BMW) generated in the country was estimated to be 146 tonnes per day (TPD)
In December 2020, the quantity of BMW generated in Delhi alone was 321 TPD
Delhi has only two Common Biomedical waste treatment Facilities at Nilothi and Industrial Area

Conclusion: Biomedical waste Crisis

More investment and human resources are needed to handle the increasing biomedical waste. Effective management of biomedical waste is very essential to ensure a cleaner environment and healthy humans.

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