Addressing Kerala's Medical Waste Crisis: Challenges, Solutions, and the Role of Point Source Reduction
Kerala is currently grappling with a severe medical waste management crisis that poses significant environmental and public health risks. The problem is exacerbated by illegal dumping of medical waste, particularly in neighboring states like Tamil Nadu, which has attracted the attention of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Despite existing regulations and guidelines, Kerala is struggling to effectively manage the growing volume of biomedical waste generated daily. Officials from Kerala inspect medical waste dumped at Nadukallur in Tirunelveli district. Photo source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/kerala-officials-inspect-medical-waste-dumped-near-tirunelveli/article69009997.ece Current Medical Waste Management Situation Kerala generates approximately 70 tonnes of medical waste daily, of which only around 60% is managed scientifically in accordance with the Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016 . The state relies on two primary agencies for processing med...