Aafrin Kidwai 
Data available with IMAGE (Indian Medical Association Goes Eco-friendly) reveals that Covid biomedical waste in Palakkad waste treatment plant has increased from a mere 698 kg on March 19 to 4,715kg on May 31. In total, the state has produced 1,48,707 kg of Covid-19 waste from 82 centres.
While Malappuram has seen the highest quantity of Covid-19 waste generated at 22,055kg, Thiruvananthapuram has collected 19,241 kg and Ernakulam 18,945 kg. Though Ernakulam has around 10 Covid care centres, it generated only 753 kg of Covid-19 waste on May 30.
While the spike in cases from people returning from other countries and states can be attributed to the growing Covid-19 biomedical waste, it majorly depends on the number of persons still under treatment as people have different rates of recoveries.
Dr Sharfudheen K P, secretary, IMAGE – CBWTF (Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility), Sharafudheen informed The New Indian Express that one coronavirus positive patient generates about 10 kg-14 kg of waste. “Biomedical waste for a normal patient is about 250-500g per day. But for a Covid-19 patient, the waste includes not just of themselves but that of the doctors, nurses and the sanitary workers who attend to them,”
IMAGE is running at full capacity these days and can handle up to 48 tonnes BMW. It has also received land for setting up its second facility in Kochi.
