The Times of India               12.06.2013

Credai to treat medical waste

KOCHI: With biomedical waste treatment becoming a major issue in city apartments, the Kochi-chapter of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Association of India (Credai) has decided to launch a project to address the issue under the Clean City Movement.

The project will be introduced on a pilot basis in 25 apartment complexes in the city and suburban municipalities in July in coordination with the Indian Medical Association (IMA). Biomedical waste will be collected from selected apartments and treated at IMA's biomedical waste treatment plant in Palakkad.

"The Clean City Movement presently covers biodegradable and plastic waste. The new project will aim to provide a permanent solution for waste treatment in apartments. At present, biomedical waste is disposed by burning, which in turn results in pollution," said Credai Clean City Movement executive director Jose Joseph. The biomedical waste will be collected either on a daily basis or on alternative days. "The IMA has necessary logistics for collecting waste from the city. It will be done early morning," Joseph said.

According to Credai, letters have been sent to 100 apartment associations for the pilot project. Apartments will be selected on first-come-first-serve basis. Each apartment complex will be charged Rs 1,500 as registration fee and individual flats will have to pay Rs 50 as monthly fee.

The project will be later extended to over 300 apartments in the city.

Last October, Credai-Kochi chapter had announced setting up a biomedical waste treatment plant in Kochi in association with IMA, similar to the one in Palakkad.

Credai is, currently, in the process of identifying land to set up the plant. According to the association, the facility will have capacity to cover all apartments under the project once it begins operations.