Aafrin Kidwai 
Accumulation of biomedical in a hospital basement (For representational purpose only)
Large amounts of disposable masks, gloves and other medical waste have been making their way to regular garbage piles across cities, posing a major challenge for civic authorities in charge of its collection and disposal.
While Mumbai is running out of room to dispose its biomedical waste, poor waste management protocols in Bengaluru and other cities are adding to the challenges faced by authorities.
LiveMint.com reports that 80 tonnes of biomedical waste generated from 120 containment zones in Karnataka have been disposed through incineration.
Mumbai is nearly exhausting its full capacity to handle biomedical waste, with only enough headroom to handle 4-5 tonnes more than the state’s capacity of 75 TPD. The state’s 29 facilities are scattered and the waste can’t be transported more than 75 km from its place of origin according to rules, so hotspots like Mumbai will soon reach full capacity, Dr Amar Supate, principal scientific officer, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, was quoted as saying.
