‘Throwing used masks in bins putting waste collectors at risk’
Out of 1,500 metric tons of solid waste, around 250 kg of masks, gloves, head covers, gowns and shoe covers are found in trash bins for disposal
LUCKNOW:With Covid-19 refusing to show any sign of going slow, people are left with no choice but to fight the virus with the help of aids like masks, gloves, head and shoe covers.
While it may be helping them keep the virus at bay, the callous disposal of these risky materials along with other solid waste is posing a serious threat to waste collectors.
“Civic authorities will have to rapidly adapt their waste management systems and procedures to the situation,” said environment engineer Pankaj Bhushan, who claims that out of 1500 metric tons of solid waste, around 250 kilogram of masks, gloves, head covers, gowns and shoe covers are found these days. “People just care for themselves and not others. The waste collected from all corners of the city tells the similar story and that is why there is a need to ensure that waste collectors take precautions as they play a vital role in keeping the cities safe from several diseases, including COVID-19,” said Bhushan.
“We have advised residents to pack such biomedical waste in paper bags as studies claim that virus doesn’t stay on paper bags for a longer time as compared to polythene. The biomedical waste should be kept in the paper bags for at-least three days at a secluded place before they are handed over to waste collectors,” said Bhushan.
“Strict adherence to enhanced hygiene norms, including replacing gloves frequently, sanitizing hands after every half hour, sanitising vehicle cabins and other equipment is needed. We also have to ensure that all our waste collection staff wears masks, etc,” said city’s health officer Dr AK Rawat.
“Direct contact (without gloves) with bins or bags should be avoided in any case to minimise the possibility of dispersing the virus and limiting its transmission,” said Rawat.
“Residents who are still mixing the biomedical waste with municipal solid waste are being warned and would be fined heavily if they don’t fall in line,” said Rawat.
He said the biomedical waste was being segregated at five waste collection points in different corners of the city.
“Once collected, the biomedical waste is send to our incinerator at Mohanlalganj and municipal solid waste is sent to our plant in Shivri village,” he said.
As per the LMC records, around 8000 kg of biomedical waste is generated by more than 890 nursing homes , pathologies, laboratories, government hospitals, dispensaries, PHC’s daily and this has to be handed over to incinerators operated by the LMC in Mohanlaganj and another by a private company in Barabanki.
According to Lucknow Municipal Corporation records there are more than 200 city hospitals along with government hospitals who give their solid waste to the LMC for scientific management at Mohanlalganj incinerator.
“However, rest of the private hospitals, which could be more than 600 in number give their biomedical waste to a private operator in Barabanki . The hospitals, nursing homes, test labs, pathologies, private clinics, who are not giving their biomedical waste to any of the incinerators would soon be served notices as municipal corporation cannot take chances at a time when the virus is spreading in new areas,” said municipal commissioner Indramani Tripathi.
“Over 12,000 sanitary workers, including 12 waste collectors and staff at incinerators, are working day and night for the safety of residents. They are risking their life to save others from pandemic. It is the duty of residents to make it sure that they don’t dump their biomedical waste in open,” said Tripathi while warning hospitals and labs to follow the CPCB norms of using different sort of polythene for safe disposal of biomedical waste.