Bhopal, Feb 28: A day after the Supreme Court chose not to intervene in the trial process for incinerating toxic waste moved from Bhopal’s abandoned Union Carbide facility to a private plant in Pithampur (near Indore), the Madhya Pradesh government is initiating the process on Friday.
After 56 days of preparation, five containers holding hazardous waste from Union Carbide were opened on Thursday at the Pithampur site. Heavy police forces have been deployed in the area to address potential tensions, as residents of Pithampur, Tarpura village, and Indore have risen in protest against the disposal operation. Several public interest litigations have already been filed in the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s principal bench.
This transfer stems from a High Court directive – dated January 2 – and an earlier order in December 2024 that resulted in 337 tonnes of toxic material being transported from Bhopal to the disposal site in Pithampur, Dhar district.
“The trial run is set to begin on Friday and will proceed in multiple phases, and it will take two to four days for each batch to get disposed of,” a government official told IANS. However, challenges persist.
Activists argue that the state government presented misleading information to secure approval and bypassed necessary permissions from local authorities. Rachna Dhingra, an activist with the Bhopal Group of Action and Information (an NGO advocating for survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy), highlighted concerns.
She cited documents showing that in December 2024, the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) issued a show-cause notice to the Pithampur facility for multiple breaches of the Water Protection Act, 1974. Additionally, Dhingra warned of significant environmental risks.
Diesel consumption during the process could exacerbate pollution, and ash produced post-incineration might contain hazardous heavy metals. Over 900 tonnes of residue, laced with harmful materials, are expected to be isolated in the landfill using polyethylene sheets. Experts fear this could lead to groundwater contamination.
The state government, however, maintains that the waste collection, transportation, and disposal have adhered to regulatory norms. They have allocated Rs 126 crore to the private facility for handling the waste. Past experiences paint a grim picture.
In 2008, 10 tonnes of waste from Bhopal were dumped in Pithampur, turning a local river black. Although subsequent tests dispelled fears of water contamination, the incident sparked strong public opposition.
A 2015 trial to incinerate 10 tonnes of garbage led to further studies, forming the basis of the High Court’s current directives. Under the Court’s orders, the 337 tonnes of waste arrived at Pithampur on January 2, with trial operations slated to wrap up by late March. The results will guide the Court’s decision on full-scale disposal.
This deeply contentious issue balances environmental, health, and administrative considerations, leaving much at stake for all involved. The toxic waste was to be used as a raw material for making a pesticide in Union Carbide India Pvt Ltd in the 80s. A lethal gas methyl isocyanate leaked from the plant and killed several people leaving thousands injured on December 2, 1984, making it the world’s worst-ever industrial disaster. –IANS sktr/svn