Pune: The volume of Covid-linked biomedical waste in the city has now gone past last year’s peak, recently touching 7,000kg per day, data provided by the state pollution board has shown.
“Pune city’s average daily Covid biomedical waste generation is currently between 6,500 to 7,000kg. It hit the 7,000-kg peak on February 28, April 28 and 30 this year,” an official from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) said.
But the official added that waste generation has fallen since May 1. On May 11, it fell to 6,400kg.
Last year, peak Covid waste generation in PMC limits was 5,000-6,000kg. This figure excluded patients’ food waste, which is longer considered bio waste.
Sunil Dandawate, a director at Passco Environmental Solutions, which is treating biomedical waste from Pune’s hospitals, said, “Volume shot up to 7,000kg per day this year. But over the last few days, it is down by about 800-1,000kg due to a drop in Covid cases,” Dandawate said.
He added that last year, Covid waste from the city had at one point hit 10,000kg.
“But that was when food waste was being treated as biomedical waste,” he said.
The load from Pune is still being sent to the Taloja incinerator in Raigad district. The city’s own incinerator has been unable to handle the load as it cannot process PPE kits, which have a high calorific value.
An MPCB official said Pune’s Covid biomedical waste has been adding to the incineration burden as the city’s installed capacity is still inadequate.
But Dandawate said the city may soon be able to start treating its own Covid waste as Passco Environmental is working to expand incinerator capacity. “When it’s done, biomedical waste from PMC limits will be treated at this facility instead of being sent to Taloja. We hope to complete the expansion by July-end,” he said.
