Kannur: Kerala generated as much as 9,938 tonnes of biomedical waste during Covid-19 pandemic. This is the figure from March 2020 to last June.

Around 99,38,945 kg of biomedical waste from the Covid treatment centres in the state was collected and processed at the IMAGE waste treatment plant at Malampuzha in Palakkad district.

Though the first Covid case in the state was reported in January 2020, the IMAGE facility was directed to separately collect biomedical waste on March 19.

Then there were 35 Covid centres but by August 2021, the number crossed 1,800. With the quantity of waste increasing, the capacity of the 3 of the 5 incinerators were increased. A new one was also set up.

Wait for new plant
The IMAGE facility, operating under the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in Malampuzha, has been collecting and processing the biomedical waste from the 19,929 healthcare institutions in the government and private sectors in Kerala for over 20 years.

Considering the daily rise in the quantity of waste to be processed, proposals were made to set up new plants but these are yet to be implemented.

Though land was identified in Kannur, Kottayam and Idukki districts, the plant has not been set up. Steps have been initiated for setting up a new plant at Adoor in Pathanamthitta district. The environmental nod is expected within two months.