Bio-medical waste generation up by 16 pc; Karnataka top producer

New Delhi, Apr 21: There has been a 16 per cent increase in daily generation of bio-medical waste in 2012-13 as against a marginal increase of 0.33 per cent the year ago, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

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. Out of total 4,430 incidents of norm violations by health care institutions and common bio-medical waste treatment facilities in 2013, Karnataka alone reported 1,233 cases and Maharashtra 602, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar said in the Lok Sabha.

Kerala was the third highest producer of bio-medical waste in 2013 with a generation of 47,223.84 kg per day and the state reported 134 violations.

The overall figure of waste generated throughout the country was 4,84,271 kg per day in 2013, 4,16,823.6 kg in 2012 and 4,15,429 kg in 2011, the minister said, replying to a question on quantum of bio-medical waste generated by various states.

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, bio-medical and e-waste. The Ministry provides financial assistance to the states for setting up common bio-medical waste treatment and disposal facilities on public-private partnership and for creating awareness and capacity building programmes on bio-medical waster management.

The Central Pollution Control Board has also provided guidelines on certain aspects of bio-medical waste management.

PTI