Aafrin Kidwai 
Novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related biomedical waste generated on an average was about 169 tonnes per day for the month of August 2020, Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ashwini Kr Choubey said in the Rajya Sabha on September 15, 2020.
The Central Pollution Control Board had prepared the guidelines for handling, treatment and disposal of biomedical waste generated during re-treatment / diagnosis / quarantine of COVID-19 patients, he added.
These guidelines were initially issued on March 19, 2019 and had been revised four times depending on the ground situation and evolving technical guidance, Choubey stated.
The last revision of the guidelines was issued on July 14, 2020, according to the information submitted by state pollution control boards / pollution control committees as well as daily data received from the COVID-19 waste tracking app (COVID19BWM).
Picture Credit: Gujarat State Pollution Control Board
