10% Of India's Bio-Med Waste In Delhi

Third Only To Maharashtra And Gujarat Even As It Ranks 19th In Country In Terms Of Population

- Paras Singh & Jasjeev Gandhiok

New Delhi: Despite being only the 19th largest Indian state or Union territory in terms of population, Delhi accounts for 10% of the 101 tonne of Covid-19 biomedical waste generated in the country each day and is the third largest generator of such waste after the bigger states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. According to the report filed by Central Pollution Control Board in the National Green Tribunal, there is worry also about the improper segregation of waste at Covid hospitals, isolation centres and quarantine homes.

Delhi currently produces 11.1 tonnes of Covid waste every day, just above Tamil Nadu (10.4 tonne) and Madhya Pradesh (7.5 tonne). On Tuesday, there were 15,288 active coronavirus cases in the city, of which 3,517 were being treated in hospitals, 2,136 at Covid care centres, 160 in health centres, and 8,126 in home isolation. Before the pandemic, a hospital typically generated 500 grams of biomedical waste per bed per day. That figure has now risen to 2.5-4.5 kg.