With reference to biomedical waste management in Kerala, consider the following statements: 1. The installed treatment capacity for biomedical waste in Kerala is 75.0 tonnes per day. 2. The NGT noted that 642 applications for waste management authorization were pending. 3. The daily generation of biomedical waste in Kerala is approximately 73.08 tonnes. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

NGT Questions Kerala's Waste Claims: Why Dump in Neighbors If Capacity Is Enough?

GS3Economy · S&T · Environment · Security· Pollution (air, water, plastic)· Prelims + Mains· 29 September 2026

Waste management infrastructure vs. regulatory oversight: a GS3 Environment and Governance case study.

Why in news

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Southern Bench questioned the Kerala State Pollution Control Board's (KSPCB) claim of adequate biomedical waste capacity following reports of illegal dumping in neighboring states.

Background

In 2025, Kerala generated approximately 73.08 tonnes of biomedical waste daily against an installed treatment capacity of 71.8 tonnes per day. The NGT noted that 642 applications for waste management authorization were pending and 73 were returned for clarification.

Facts for Prelims

FactKerala's 2025 daily biomedical waste generation: 73.08 tonnes.
FactKerala's 2025 daily installed treatment capacity: 71.8 tonnes.
PlaceKSPCB: Kerala State Pollution Control Board is the state-level regulatory body.

Prelims practice question

With reference to biomedical waste management in Kerala, consider the following statements:

The installed treatment capacity for biomedical waste in Kerala is 75.0 tonnes per day.
The NGT noted that 642 applications for waste management authorization were pending.
The daily generation of biomedical waste in Kerala is approximately 73.08 tonnes.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a)2 only
(b)3 only
(c)1 and 3 only
(d)2 and 3 only

Show answer

Answer: (d) 2 and 3 only — Statements 2 and 3 are correct. Statement 1 is incorrect: The installed treatment capacity is 71.8 tonnes per day.

For Mains

Q. Examine the institutional and infrastructural challenges in managing biomedical waste in India and suggest measures to ensure environmental compliance.

Dimensions to cover in your answer

Regulatory bottleneck: High volume of pending authorization applications delaying waste management compliance
Infrastructure deficit: Gap between daily waste generation and installed treatment capacity leading to illegal dumping
Inter-state friction: Environmental externalities caused by waste dumping in neighboring states

Keywords: Environmental Compliance · Waste Management · Regulatory Oversight · Pollution Control · Inter-state Environmental Governance

Read the full news →Report a mistake in this note Source: The Hindu ↗

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