Union Minister for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh on Monday launched the ‘Srjanam’ biomedical waste conversion rig at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, marking a significant milestone in the management of biomedical waste.
Srjanam is a waste management system developed by CSIR-NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram, offering a cost effective, greener alternative to existing technologies for biomedical waste disposal, including incineration. The fully automated system dissects and nullifies all hazardous biomedical wastes like blood, urine, and sputum, as well as laboratory disposables, without the use of costliest and energy-intensive incinerators, making the disposal of waste easy and economical.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister emphasised the role of innovation in addressing environmental issues:
“This development marks a key milestone towards sustainable waste management in healthcare. Srjanam promises a low-cost solution that is scalable and could be adopted by healthcare institutions across the country, ” said Singh.
Dr VK Paul, Member of NITI Aayog said, “The Srjanam technology is a huge leap towards allowing safe and sustainable management of biomedical waste. It tends to lessen the environmental burden significantly while increasing safety for health workers and citizens.”
“It speaks volumes about the scientific collaborative strength in addressing the problem of biomedical waste disposal. It also shows the commitment of AIIMS, New Delhi in adopting things that are beneficial for both healthcare and the environment,” said M Srinivas, Director, AIIMS, Delhi.