Covid-related waste piles up in Patiala

Ravneet Singh
Tribune News Service
Patiala, April 29

The quantity of Covid-19 related hazardous waste generated in households and other places has increased manifold in the city. Officials in the Municipal Corporation (MC) said the quantity was earlier 50 kg till February, but now the city generated 150 to 200 kg Covid-related waste daily.

The Corporation apart from signing a contract with a private company for collection and incineration of the waste has deputed its sanitary inspectors at various cremation grounds to manage waste.

Officials in the MC said, “The city mainly generates wet and dry waste, which includes paper, cardboard, food items, glass and other such material. Waste, including sanitary napkins, batteries, pesticides and paints, fall in the hazardous category, which, as per the solid waste management rules, is to be kept and treated separately.”

“With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the quantity of hazardous waste has increased. Earlier until February, we were receiving nearly 50 kg Covid-19 related hazardous waste. But it has tripled, rather quadrupled, in over the last month,” Municipal Joint Commissioner Lal Vishwas said while adding that, “Such waste is separated from other hazardous material normally produced in the city.”

“Covid-19 related hazardous waste includes face masks, personal protective equipment (PPE) kits and bags in which dead bodies are carried from hospitals to cremation grounds,” he added.

“The quantity of such has increased. We have taken steps to manage such type of waste,” he said.

“Quantity of hazardous waste has increased because many people have started wearing and discarding masks while the use of protective kits and bags for carrying dead bodies to cremation grounds has also increased,” he added.

“The Municipal Corporation has signed a contract with a private company from Ludhiana to properly pick and manage hazardous waste. The firm will collect waste from the city and incinerate it at its centres. We are ensuring that all such waste is collected from the city, including from cremation grounds, so that it does not mix with other garbage,” said officials of the MC.

“The Corporation has deputed four sanitary inspectors at different cremation grounds along with a vehicle and two cleanliness workers each. The waste is given to the private company, which is carries it away from the city and incinerated,” they added.