Hospital biomedical waste during Covid-19 increased by 5-6 times: UN expert

By Our Representative
A senior United Nations expert on waste management has raised the alarm that while before the Covid-19 outbreak, a government or a private hospital would typically produce 500 grams of biomedical waste like syringes, urine bags, gauze, etc) per bed, daily, now, that number has gone up to between 2.5 kg to 4 kg per bed.
Quoting Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment and Disposal Facility (CBWTF) data of Delhi, Swati Singh Sambyal, waste management specialist, UN Habitat Centre India, speaking on existing challenges and best practice of Covid-19 waste management in India, said, this waste is not limited to hospitals. Isolation homes or quarantine centres also contribute to this, which, she said, is becoming a major problem in managing and dealing with waste.
Participating in a webinar organized by the Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI), New Delhi, Sambyal stated, multifold challenges exist due to the waste, including availability of workers and staff for collection and disposal of CBWTF, huge quantity of general mixed with infected Covid-19 waste at quarantine centres and isolation wards, expressing concern for frontline warriors who manage these waste as they are more vulnerable to coronavirus.
Prof Brajesh Kumar Dubey, associate professor, civil engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, said that there is a sharp increase generation in plastic waste during Covid-19 crisis, with major reasons being online delivery, panic buying, stockpiling, and PPE disposal, adding, single used plastics like gloves, masks, and aprons are high in demand among the customers and there is not waste management of it.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Keith Alverson, director, International Environmental Centre, United Nations Environment Programme, Japan, said that during Covid-19, said that issues that need answering include as to whom should one address the challenge the waste management, and who takes the responsibility to control it. Others who spoke included Dr Simi Mehta, CEO, IMPRI; Sameer Unhale, additional commissioner, Ulhasnagar corporation; and Dr Arjun Kumar, director, IMPRI.

Comments

Gujarat's high profile GIFT city 'fails to attract' funds, India's FinTech investment dips

By Rajiv Shah While the Narendra Modi government may have gone out of the way to promote the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), sought to be developed as India’s formidable financial technology hub off the state capital Gandhinagar, just 20 km from Ahmedabad, a recent report , prepared by Tracxn Technologies suggests that neither of the two cities figure in the list of top FinTech funding receiving centres.

Why Ramdev, vaccine producing pharma companies and government are all at fault

By Colin Gonsalves* It was perhaps Ramdev’s closeness to government which made him over-confident. According to reports he promoted a cure for Covid, thus directly contravening various provisions of The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. Persons convicted of such offences may not get away with a mere apology and would suffer imprisonment.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Malayalam movie Aadujeevitham: Unrealistic, disservice to pastoralists

By Rosamma Thomas* The Malayalam movie 'Aadujeevitham' (Goat Life), currently screening in movie theatres in Kerala, has received positive reviews and was featured also on the website of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The story is based on a 2008 novel by Benyamin, and relates the real-life story of a job-seeker from Kerala tricked into working in slave conditions in a goat farm in Saudi Arabia.

Decade long Modi rule 'undermines' people's welfare and democracy

By Ram Puniyani* Modi has many ploys up his sleeves when it comes to propaganda. On one hand he is turning many a pronouncements of Congress in the communal direction, on the other he is claiming that whatever has been achieved during last ten years of his rule is phenomenal, but it is still a ‘trailer’ and the bigger things are in the offing as he claims to be coming to power yet again in 2024. While his admirers are ga ga about his achievements, the truth lies somewhere else.

Belgian report alleges MNC Etex responsible for asbestos pollution in Madhya Pradesh town Kymore: COP's Geneva meet

By Our Representative A comprehensive Belgian report has held MNC Etex , into construction business and one of the richest, responsible for asbestos pollution in Kymore, an industrial town in in Katni district of Madhya Pradesh. The report provides evidence from the ground on how Kymore’s dust even today is “annoying… it creeps into your clothes, you have to cough it”, saying “It can be deadly.”

Plagued by opportunism, adventurism, tailism, Left 'doesn't matter' in India

By Harsh Thakor* 2024 elections are starting when India appears to be on the verge of turning proto-fascist. The Hindutva saffron brigade has penetrated in every sphere of Indian life, every social order, destroying and undermining the very fabric of the Constitution.

Can universal basic income help usher in sustainable egalitarianism in India?

By Prof RR Prasad* The ongoing debate on application of Article 39(b) in the Supreme Court on redistribution of community material resources to subserve common good and for ushering in an egalitarian society has opened new vistas wherein possible available alternative solutions could be explored.

Press freedom? 28 journalists killed since 2014, nine currently in jail

By Kirity Roy* On the eve of the Press Freedom Day on 3rd of May, the Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) shared its anxiety with the broader civil society platforms as the situation of freedom of any form of expression became grimmer in India day by day. This day was intended to raise awareness on the importance of freedom of press and to pay tribute to pressmen who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Ahmedabad's Muslim ghetto voters 'denied' right to exercise franchise?

By Tanushree Gangopadhyay* Sections of Gujarat Muslims, with a population of 10 per cent of the State, have been allegedly denied their rights to exercise their franchise in the Juhapura area of Ahmedabad.

Search This Blog