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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Commercial LPG 'evaporates' in Maharashtra

Mumbai : The short supply of commercial LPG cylinders turned ‘grim’ on Wednesday as hundreds of small and medium eateries – on whom the ordinary working Mumbaikars depend on for daily meals – shut down or drastically trimmed menus, on Wednesday.   With an estimated 50,000-plus hotels, restaurants and small food joints, the crunch is beginning to be felt severely, said Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) vice-president and Hotel and Restaurant Association Western...

Commercial LPG 'evaporates' in Maharashtra

Mumbai : The short supply of commercial LPG cylinders turned ‘grim’ on Wednesday as hundreds of small and medium eateries – on whom the ordinary working Mumbaikars depend on for daily meals – shut down or drastically trimmed menus, on Wednesday.   With an estimated 50,000-plus hotels, restaurants and small food joints, the crunch is beginning to be felt severely, said Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) vice-president and Hotel and Restaurant Association Western India (HRAWI) spokesperson Pradeep Shetty.   “We are in continuous touch with the concerned authorities, but the situation is very gloomy. There is no response from the Centre or the Ministry of Petroleum on when the situation will ease. We fear that more than 50 pc of all eateries in Mumbai will soon down the shutters. The same will apply to the rest of the state and many other parts of India,” Shetty told  ‘ The Perfect Voice’ .   The shortage of commercial LPG has badly affected multiple sectors, including the hospitality and food industries, mass private or commercial kitchens and even the laundry businesses, industry players said.   At their wits' ends, many restaurateurs resorted to the reliable old iron ‘chulhas’ (stoves) fired by either coal or wood - the prices of which have also shot up and result in pollution - besides delaying the cooking.   Anticipating a larger crisis, even domestic LPG consumers besieged retail dealers in Mumbai, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Ratnagiri, Kolhapur, Akola, Nagpur to book their second cylinder, with snaky queues in many cities. The stark reality of the 12-days old Gulf war with the disturbed supplies has hit the people and industries in the food supply chains that feed crores daily.   “The ordinary folks leave home in the morning after breakfast, then they rely on the others in the food chain for their lunch or dinner. Many street retailers have also shut down temporarily,” said Shetty.   Dry Snacks A quick survey of some suburban ‘khau gullies’ today revealed that the available items were mostly cold sandwiches, fruit or vegetable salads, cold desserts or ice-creams, cold beverages and packed snacks. Few offered the regular ‘piping hot’ foods that need elaborate cooking, or charging higher than normal menu rates, and even the app-based food delivery system was impacted.   Many people were seen gloomily munching on colorful packets of dry snacks like chips, chivda, sev, gathiya, samosas, etc. for lunch, the usually cheerful ‘chai ki dukaans’ suddenly disappeared from their corners, though soft drinks and tetrapaks were available.   Delay, Scarcity  Maharashtra LPG Dealers Association President Deepak Singh yesterday conceded to “some delays due to supply shortages” of commercial cylinders, but assured that there is no scarcity of domestic cylinders.   “We are adhering to the Centre’s guidelines for a 25 days booking period between 2 cylinders (domestic). The issue is with commercial cylinders but even those are available though less in numbers,” said Singh, adding that guidelines to prioritise educational institutions, hospitals, and defence, are being followed, but others are also getting their supplies.   Despite the assurances, Shetty said that the current status is extremely serious since the past week and the intermittent disruptions have escalated into a near-total halt in supplies in many regions since Monday.   Adding to the dismal picture is the likelihood of local hoteliers associations in different cities like Pune, Palghar, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and more resorting to tough measures from Thursday, including temporary shutdown of their outlets, which have run out of gas stocks.

Beyond the Bag: Labelling, Sealing, and Storing Waste Right

Segregation is not just about coloured bags—it’s about protecting people, reducing costs, and preserving the planet.

In my last article, I described the colour-coding system that was used for the segregation of biomedical waste. Let us explore this aspect a little further.


Segregation is not just about putting waste in different coloured bags—it’s about ensuring that each step, from labelling to sealing and storage, is handled with care and clarity. This section explains how healthcare facilities can implement segregation practically and the many advantages of doing it right, from safety to sustainability.


Occupiers can procure coloured bags or bins required for segregation directly from the operator of a common facility. These colour-coded bags and containers should be printed with the biohazard symbol and labelled with details such as date, type of waste, waste quantity, sender's name, and receiver's details, as well as barcode labels so that they can be tracked till final disposal.


These bags and sharps containers should be sealed and kept ready for collection once they are filled up to three-quarters of their capacity. These plastic bags should never be stapled but may be tied or sealed with a plastic tag or tie. Replacement bags or containers should be available at each waste-collection location so that once a bag is filled to its desired capacity, it can be readily replaced by a new one. In healthcare establishments, the segregation process is handled mostly by the housekeeping staff. Many of these waste handlers are uneducated and may not be able to read the instructions regarding segregation. For this, the CPCB has published a pictorial guide in which there are interactive, colourful posters displaying the process of segregation.


Advantages of segregation: Implementing a robust segregation programme is crucial for any healthcare facility aiming to manage its waste responsibly and effectively. Mixing the waste at the source of generation can have an adverse effect on the treatment process.


1. Enhanced Safety:

Reduces Occupational Hazards: Segregation minimises the risk of injury to healthcare workers and waste handlers from sharps (needles, etc.) and infectious materials.


Prevents Cross-Contamination: Proper segregation prevents the mixing of infectious waste with general waste, reducing the risk of disease transmission.


Improved Infection Control: By separating waste streams, healthcare facilities can implement more effective infection control measures, protecting patients, staff, and visitors from ‘nosocomial’ or ‘hospital-acquired’ infections.


1. Reduced Treatment Costs:

Each of the four categories of biomedical waste requires specific treatment because of its varied composition before disposal. Segregation ensures that only truly hazardous and infectious waste will be treated with specialised and often costly methods, reducing overall treatment costs.


Optimises Resource Allocation: By streamlining waste management processes, segregation allows for more efficient use of resources and potentially reduces waste disposal expenses.


2. Environmental Protection:

Prevents Environmental Pollution: Proper segregation prevents hazardous materials from contaminating soil and water sources, protecting the environment.


Promotes Recycling: Segregation enables the recycling of certain materials, reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills and conserving natural resources.


Reduces Landfill Volume: By segregating non-hazardous waste for recycling and composting, the volume of waste going to landfills is reduced.


3. Legal Compliance:

Adherence to Regulations: Effective segregation is often a requirement of national and international regulations for biomedical waste management, helping healthcare facilities avoid legal penalties.


Improved Reputation: Demonstrating a commitment to proper waste management through segregation can enhance a healthcare facility's reputation.


4. Promoting Sustainability:

Resource Conservation: Segregation facilitates the recycling and reuse of materials, promoting resource conservation and reducing the environmental footprint of healthcare facilities.


Reduced Carbon Footprint: By optimising waste management processes and promoting recycling, segregation contributes to a more sustainable healthcare system.


Proper segregation is the foundation of safe and sustainable biomedical waste management. It protects people, reduces treatment costs, and helps safeguard the environment, making it an essential practice for every healthcare facility.


(The author is an environmentalist.)

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