As Covid-19 cases increase, disposing biomedical waste becomes a challenge for Noida authority

NOIDA: As the Covid-19 cases increase rapidly, there has also been a sharp rise in the volume of biomedical waste in the city

NOIDA: As the Covid-19 cases increase rapidly, there has also been a sharp rise in the volume of biomedical waste in the city. Noida has started producing around 60 kg of biomedical waste daily which is generated on account of Covid-19, officials of the Noida authority said.

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In the beginning of March this year, the city was producing 10 kg of Covid waste that includes PPE kits, masks, and gloves, they said, adding that it’s a challenge to handle such waste produced in housing societies and other residential areas across the city.

The officials said that it has laid down a system to handle the hazardous medical waste. “A private agency is tasked with collecting the biomedical waste in black dustbins placed in vehicles that collect waste from every household. The Covid waste quantity has increased rapidly this month to 60kg daily,” said SC Mishra, senior project engineer, Noida authority.

After collecting the Covid waste, the authority hands it over to a private agency that treats it scientifically at a Meerut facility, said the officials.

On Sunday, Gautam Budh Nagar had reported 700 new cases, pushing the overall tally of positive cases in the district to over 30,000-mark. According to the state’s Covid-19 bulletin, the district on Sunday also reported three deaths due to the infection, taking the number of fatalities to 103.

In November last year, the production of Covid waste was about 30 kg daily when a daily average of 128 positive cases had been reported, said the authority officials.

The authority is also taking help of apartment owners associations (AOAs) and other social groups in proper collection of Covid waste to contain the outbreak.

“We are encouraging the social groups in societies to appeal to residents to dump the Covid waste only in designated bags so that it is disposed of scientifically,” said Rajiva Singh, president, Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Associations (NOFAA), an umbrella body of AOAs.

Meanwhile, the Noida authority has decided to impose ₹5,000 fine on those, who were found dumping the Covid waste at undesignated places. “Dumping the waste at places, which are not meant for it, will invite fine. We appeal to citizens to cooperate in proper disposal of the waste,” said Mishra.