Union government has indicated that there has been a 16 per cent increase in daily generation of biomedical waste in 2012-13 as against a marginal increase of 0.33 per cent a year ago. The details of the generation for 2013-14 are yet to be tabulated.
Karnataka was the highest producer of bio-waste at 83,614 kg per day, followed by Maharashtra, which produced 65,660 kg of bio-wastes every day. These two states also reported the highest numbers of violations of the norms in 2013.
Kerala was the third highest producer of biomedical waste in 2013 with a generation of 47,223.84 kg per day and the state reported 134 violations.
Out of total 4,430 incidents of norm violations by healthcare institutions and common biomedical waste treatment facilities in 2013, Karnataka alone reported 1,233 cases and Maharashtra 602 cases, said environment, forest and climate change minister Prakash Javadekar in the Lok Sabha.
The government has recently framed rules for waste management and has put them on the environment ministry's website to invite public suggestions before giving it a final shape. The draft rules pertain to management of solid, plastic, biomedical and e-waste.
The overall figure of waste generated throughout the country was 4,84,271 kg per day in 2013; 4,16,823.6 kg per day in 2012 and 4,15,429 kg per day in 2011; the minister said, replying to a question on quantum of biomedical waste generated by various states.
Commenting on Karnataka being the highest producer of bio-waste, hospital majors such as Apollo, Fortis, Columbia Asia, Manipal, Satya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, said that the issue was an increasing concern. It prompted hospital administration to seek new ways of scientific, safe and cost effective management of the waste, and keeping their personnel informed about the advances in this area.
The need of proper hospital waste management system is of prime importance and is an essential component of quality assurance in hospitals, said a section of junior doctors at Victoria Hospital.
Karnataka also houses 3,000 government medical centres which include primary health centres and dispensaries. Besides, it has medical colleges, research centres, paramedic services, veterinary colleges, animal study centres, blood banks, autopsy units among others also generate biomedical waste management, stated officials from the State Pollution Control Board which is the designated authority for implementation of biomedical waste rules.
The waste is being disposed by common and captive facility with respect to solid waste. However, for liquid waste disposal it depends on captive facility.
Now in order to ensure adherence to the biomedical waste rules, the ministry of environment, forest and climate change provides financial assistance to the states for setting up common biomedical waste treatment and disposal facilities on public-private partnership and for creating awareness and capacity building programmes on biomedical waste management.
The Central Pollution Control Board has also provided guidelines on certain aspects of biomedical waste management.