Hero Image

Poor handling of biomedical waste puts Chennai under threat

CHENNAI: Household generation of biomedical waste has more than tripled, from around five tonnes a day before March to 16-17 tonnes now, across 15 zones of the Greater Chennai Corporation. But only one-third of it is handled at the Manali incineration plant. The rest is either burnt or buried in unused burial grounds.




TOI has also reported instances of it being dumped in roadside bins. The Manali plant can treat only 5 tonnes a day and is shut down every fifth day for maintenance.


Every day, conservancy workers wearing PPE kits and collect bio-medical waste from Covid positive houses and take it to the ward office. If the collection is more than 500kg, it is sent to the Manali plant. Otherwise, the waste is buried locally in a deep pit, said a corporation official.

The waste generated from Covid care centres, urban primary health care centres and hospitals is collected by two contractors listed by the Central Pollution Control Board. “Last week, we signed the contract with two companies that will be responsible for collection and disposal of the medical waste. We will pay them based on the quantity collected,” said Vijula, executive engineer, solid waste management department.

But what about the biomedical waste from non-Covid households? The rules say the municipal corporation should set up a treatment facility. Or it should tie up with companies with expertise in disposal. Under no circumstances can this waste be mixed with other solid waste.

In the city, bio-medical waste from non-Covid homes is collected unsegregated and dumped at Perungudi or Kodungaiyur. G Veerappan, superintendent engineer for solid waste management, said, they cannot ask the workers to segregate the waste as there is risk of infection. “If residents give it separately, workers will collect it and send it to the incineration plant. But that is not being done.”

“The civic body should sign agreements with these companies and hand over the waste to them. Hospitals and other mass generators should also do the same. We can only monitor but it is the responsibility of the local body to implement,” said a senior TNPCB official.

N Sriram, managing trustee, Samriddhi foundation, said, “Not just the corporation, many hospitals are not following the new guidelines. Everything is going to land up in landfill that are already overflowing or end up in unauthorised lands.”

V Sriram, president of exnora club Porur, said, they are creating awareness in residential welfare associations and are motivating people to segregate medical waste. “But workers continue to dump it along with other solid waste,” he said.

READ ON APP