Aafrin Kidwai 
Hyderabad-based Ramky Enviro will manage waste collection in 7 zones of Chennai. Picture for representational purposes only
Find out how two leading waste management companies are managing their operations during the pandemic.
Soon after cases of COVID-19 emerged in India, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) released guidelines for handling, treatment and safe disposal of biomedical waste generated during treatment, diagnosis and quarantine of patients confirmed or suspected to have the novel coronavirus. Since then, waste management service providers across India have introduced safer MSW collection and disposal measures, especially biomedical waste and waste generated in quarantined homes and camps.
Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited (REEL) says it has developed a comprehensive plan to ensure uninterrupted delivery of critical services, specifically, household waste collection, treatment and disposal, medical waste management and hazardous waste disposal.
REEL’s operations include more than 15,000 ground staff located in 25 major cities across India. The company says that each of these services is being conducted according to strict social-distancing protocols and appropriate hygienic and sanitation measures, as laid out by the Ministry of Health.
REEL is equipping workers with essential personal protective equipment (PPE) provided by the company, as mandated by the CPCB. It also announced that it will provide additional benefits to its frontline employees and workers including an additional daily allowance, medical and life insurance coverage and basic essential groceries to workers. Goutham Reddy, Managing Director & CEO of REEL says, “As India seeks to take all the necessary measures to avoid entering into Stage 3 of this pandemic, we are pleased to be part of the solution by continuing the collection, transportation and processing of waste – services that are humble, but are more integral than ever.”
Another leading waste management company, Zonta Infratech Private Limited’s underground waste bins are proving especially useful in these critical times. Set up across 17 cities in India including Bengaluru, Bhopal and Raipur, these underground bins provide closed systems for waste collection and storage, thus, not allowing any foul smell or spillage. They are emptied using a mechanized process with a specialized vehicle, ensuring no manual contact with the waste at any step.
and are proving particularly useful during the current crisis
Says Mr Raj Kumar, Managing Director, Zonta Infratech, “This is how we respect our teams by ensuring their welfare and dignity of labour, through our mechanized closed storage underground bin systems. In fact, due to our protective and secure means of operations using underground bins, we are asked by ULBs to make multiple trips and deploy more bins in some of the cities.”
A ‘full city model’ (that is, cities that are fully serviced by Zonta’s underground waste collection system) like Patiala, Behrampur and Dharamshala is more beneficial, especially in these times where door-to-door collection operations are limited. Underground bins that are easily accessible to public directly help maintain social distancing. They can put the waste directly into these bins and waste operations can be completed without any manual contact of waste.
With this concept of underground bins and mechanized emptying and transportation system, Zonta continues to operate in an optimal manner with lesser manpower compared to other waste management operators. The company has not cut down any ground staff in this crisis and work goes on as usual.
Concludes Mr Raj Kumar, “We have also taken measures to provide PPE to our staff along with sanitizers and masks for all the staff on field. We have even taken additional care to maintain social distancing as well now, operating in these times. In fact, our teams feel more secure and proud to deliver their services using our underground bin system especially in these times.”
