Drive to collect disposed PPE in yellow bags at a slow pace

The Chennai Corporation has introduced the initiative to prevent the spread of the virus from garbage. “Senior officials are claiming that they are providing yellow bags. But in my area, the collection of used PPEs using yellow bags started only two days ago. Also, the measure should have been taken much earlier,” a field-level official confided.

On April 11, the civic body announced that it would distribute yellow bags to the houses in the containment zones so that the residents could store the used masks and gloves in the bags and surrender them to the conservancy workers for safe disposal. However, some field-level officials allege that the initiative is yet to be implemented in several parts.

While issuing the instructions to the public, the civic body officials had said that procurement orders were placed for 2.25 lakh yellow bags and a huge amount of bleaching powder.

“Around 1.5 tonnes of used masks and gloves are collected from the houses every day. We have an incineration facility in Manali. All the used masks and gloves are considered hazardous domestic waste and are incinerated in the plant,” an official said.

However, the civic body has failed to devise procedures for disposing of personnel protection equipment (PPE) used by its employees, who are engaging in the doortodoor survey and disinfection drives on the streets. “Field workers are given disposable masks and gloves every day. But, there is no instruction on how to collect and dispose the equipment used by the workers. Many of the workers are simply dumping them in garbage bins,” the field official said.