Madhya Pradesh HC allows disposal of waste from Bhopal’s Union Carbide plant at Pithampur
The state government said that a trial to dispose of 30 tons of the hazardous waste was successful and that the remaining 300 tons could be cleared in 72 days.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday permitted the state government to dispose of about 300 tons of 40-year-old chemical waste from Bhopal's Union Carbide factory at a private facility in Pithampur, The Hindu reported.
The state government assured the court that the exercise would be completed in 72 days. It informed the court that a trial to dispose of 30 tons of the waste was successful and that the remaining 300 tons could be incinerated safely, Live Law reported.
On February 27, the Supreme Court had refused to interfere with the High Court’s order allowing waste incineration trials in three phases.
The three trial runs took place on February 28, March 4 and March 10, with burning rates of 135 kg/hour, 180 kg/hour and 270 kg/hour, respectively. The government stated that the remaining waste could be disposed of under the supervision of the central and state pollution control boards at a rate of 270 kg/hour.
The waste is the result of an accident that occurred in December 1984, when methyl isocyanate and other toxic gases leaked from the pesticide plant of Union Carbide India Limited in Bhopal.
Over five lakh persons were exposed to the toxic gases and at least 4,000 were killed as a result in the ensuing days. Government data suggests that there have been 15,000 deaths as a result of the disaster over the years.
On December 3, the High Court had set a four-week deadline to shift the waste from Bhopal to Pithampur, criticising the authorities for not clearing up the accident site despite directions from the Supreme Court.
On January 2, about 337 tons of hazardous waste from the Union Carbide factory were delivered to the Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district, in 12 leak-proof and fire-resistant containers.
The arrival of the waste in Pithampur was met with outrage by residents and activists. On January 3, two men sustained injuries after immolating themselves in protest.
On January 6, the court gave the state government six weeks to dispose of the waste in accordance with safety protocols.
Also read: Why a town in MP is resisting the plan to treat toxic waste from Bhopal’s Union Carbide plant
