Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) like bodysuits, face masks, hand gloves, and shoe covers have played a very important role in battling the raging COVID-19 pandemic in Delhi.
But it is assumed that authorities clearly failed in planning and ensuring safe, post-use disposal of those highly infectious items and it has triggered a parallel crisis.
Flushed out in bulk from hospital labs, homes, hotels, and COVID care facilities left over besides crematoriums and burial grounds is piling up the bio-medical waste in the city.
A reality check of a media house discovered that these wastes are being dangerously dumped in landfills as plants to destroy these wastes are already overloaded.
If rules to be followed these bio-medical waste are to be responsibly collected in yellow bags by trained workers equipped with protective gear for safe disposal, but it is apparent that is seldom followed.
Most people who came to cremate their relatives suited in PPE kits but after the cremation, they throw them around before leaving. Experts say these thrown waste could potentially become virus spreading agents if not discarded properly. In the capital, the crematorium handles 8 to 10 COVID-19 bodies.
Rampal who works at Lodhi Crematorium is quoted as saying, "We tell people to not throw PPE kits within the open but they do not listen. we should always get separate bins for his or her safe disposal." Blaming South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) for the crisis he was further divulged, "We complained repeatedly but they assert they do not have time or vehicles. they're scared to select this waste up."
In the vicinity of the crematorium, residents are also scared of contracting the virus as visitors also throw PPE near their houses. Corporation officials took away 10 truck-load of waste. The Central Pollution control panel (CPCB) has warned biomedical waste multiplying during the pandemic as hazardous. However, the issued guidelines on how the waste to be are apparently flouted.
Delhi is generating 11 tonnes of coronavirus-related waste a day, consistent with the CPCB.
Similar sights have been also spotted around the ITO graveyard. At the dedicated corner for COVID-19 bodies, some PPE kits are found wrapped in yellow bags reading hazardous waste, while many gloves, headcovers and shoe covers were thrown in the open.