Lok Sabha Question No. 910 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-23
Subject: Biomedical Waste
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Reddeppa Nallakonda Gari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 910

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 23.07.2021

## Biomedical Waste

## 910. SHRI N. REDDEPPA:

Will  the  Hon'ble  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  amount  of  biomedical  waste  has  seen  a  significant  increase  since  the COVID-19 pandemic in March, 2020;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise; during the last three years;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  to  effectively  and  safely  handle  such biomedical waste from damaging the soil, water and air; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a)&(b) The  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB)  has  informed  that  the  non-COVID waste generated in the country during 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 is estimated to be  531  Tons/Day(TPD),  608  TPD  and  615  TPD  respectively,  based  on  the information provided by State Pollution Control Boards/ Pollution Control Committees  (SPCBs/  PCCs).  Further,  incremental  BMW  was  generated  during treatment, diagnosis and quarantine of COVID-19 infected or suspected patients from healthcare facilities, quarantine centres/ camps, sample collection centres, laboratories, home care/home isolations etc.

As per the information compiled through COVID19 BWM app, a total of 56,898.14 Tons of COVID-19 infected waste was generated between June-2020 to June-2021. The State/ UT-wise information on non-COVID and COVID-19 BMW is provided as below:

| States/ Union Territories   | Non-COVID-19BMW (in Tons/ Annum)   | Non-COVID-19BMW (in Tons/ Annum)   | Non-COVID-19BMW (in Tons/ Annum)   | COVID-19BMW (in Tons)   |
|-----------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|-------------------------|
|                             | 2019-20                            | 2018-19                            | 2017-18                            |                         |
| Andaman Nicobar             | 0.7                                | 0.2                                | 0.2                                | 4.0                     |
| Andhra Pradesh              | 15.1                               | 15.1                               | 10.7                               | 2877.5                  |
| Arunachal Pradesh           | 0.4                                | 0.9                                | 0.6                                | 34.8                    |
| Assam                       | 8.8                                | 7.8                                | 8.6                                | 337.4                   |
| Bihar                       | 34.8                               | 34.8                               | 33.8                               | 336.0                   |

| States/ Union Territories          | Non-COVID-19BMW (in Tons/ Annum)   | Non-COVID-19BMW (in Tons/ Annum)   | Non-COVID-19BMW (in Tons/ Annum)   | COVID-19BMW (in Tons)   |
|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|-------------------------|
| States/ Union Territories          | 2019-20                            | 2018-19                            | 2017-18                            |                         |
| Chandigarh                         | 3.9                                | 3.2                                | 2.5                                | 671.4                   |
| Chhattisgarh                       | 7.1                                | 16.1                               | 1.1                                | 381.4                   |
| Daman &Diu and Dadra &Nagar Haveli | 0.3                                | 0.3                                | 0.3                                | 14.1                    |
| Delhi                              | 28.8                               | 26.8                               | 24.7                               | 3995.3                  |
| Goa                                | 1.5                                | 1.8                                | 0.9                                | 124.2                   |
| Gujarat                            | 36.4                               | 33.7                               | 29.1                               | 5004.9                  |
| Haryana                            | 14.8                               | 14.2                               | 11.7                               | 3025.3                  |
| Himachal Pradesh                   | 3.4                                | 2.6                                | 3.0                                | 414.3                   |
| Jharkhand                          | 7.7                                | 12.8                               | 12.5                               | 543.0                   |
| J&K                                | 5.9                                | 4.5                                | 4.6                                | 136.6                   |
| Karnataka                          | 77.5                               | 65.6                               | 67.3                               | 3133.6                  |
| Kerala                             | 42.9                               | 72.0                               | 41.0                               | 6442.2                  |
| Lakshadweep                        | 0.1                                | 0.5                                | 0.4                                | 3.6                     |
| Madhya Pradesh                     | 17.8                               | 15.8                               | 14.8                               | 2462.8                  |
| Maharashtra                        | 62.3                               | 62.4                               | 61.9                               | 8317.0                  |
| Manipur                            | 1.0                                | 1.1                                | 0.5                                | 56.5                    |
| Meghalaya                          | 1.3                                | 1.4                                | 1.1                                | 92.2                    |
| Mizoram                            | 0.9                                | 0.8                                | 0.7                                | 29.2                    |
| Nagaland                           | 0.9                                | 0.6                                | 0.6                                | 34.1                    |
| Odisha                             | 18.0                               | 14.6                               | 14.2                               | 1642.9                  |
| Puducherry                         | 5.9                                | 4.3                                | 5.4                                | 428.4                   |
| Punjab                             | 16.1                               | 16.0                               | 15.2                               | 1289.1                  |
| Rajasthan                          | 20.7                               | 22.3                               | 22.5                               | 1382.8                  |
| Sikkim                             | 0.5                                | 0.4                                | 0.2                                | 36.6                    |
| Tamil Nadu                         | 58.3                               | 47.2                               | 46.8                               | 4835.9                  |
| Telangana                          | 20.5                               | 16.2                               | 15.7                               | 1109.7                  |
| Tripura                            | 1.4                                | 1.4                                | 1.6                                | 7.6                     |
| Uttarakhand                        | 3.8                                | 4.1                                | 2.9                                | 683.4                   |
| Uttar Pradesh                      | 52.5                               | 52.5                               | 43.6                               | 3881.7                  |
| West Bengal                        | 41.6                               | 34.1                               | 29.8                               | 3128.9                  |
| Total                              | 615                                | 608                                | 531                                | 56898.4                 |

It is noted from above data that the BMW generation has been increasing over past three years.

- (c)&(d) The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) had notified the  Biomedical  Waste  Management  Rules,  2016  (BMWM  Rules,  2016)  under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, which stipulates source segregation of the BioMedical waste (BMW) into four categories. The Rules also stipulate technological options  available  to  treat  the  source-segregated  waste  categories  and  prescribe standards  for  incinerator  stack  emission,  treated  effluent,  autoclave/  microwave/ hydro clave and chemical disinfection.

The  SPCBs/  PCCs  issue  authorisation  to  Healthcare  Facilities  (HCFs)/  Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility operators and monitor them for compliance of prescribed  standards  of  emissions,  liquid  effluents  and  waste.  The  CPCB  has prepared following guidelines on segregation, treatment and disposal of BMW:

-  Management of Healthcare Waste in HCFs as per Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016;
-  Guidelines for Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facilities; and
-  Handling, Treatment and Disposal of Waste Generated during Treatment/Diagnosis/ Quarantine of COVID-19 Patients

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