MP: 40 years after gas disaster, Bhopal rid of Union Carbide toxic waste

Forty years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, 377 tons of hazardous waste has been shifted from the defunct Union Carbide factory for its disposal, new agency PTI has reported quoting an official in the know.

The toxic waste was transported on Wednesday (January 1) night in 12 sealed container trucks from Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal to Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district, 250 km away.

Green corridor for 250-km journey

“The 12 container trucks carrying the waste set off on a non-stop journey around 9 pm. A green corridor was created for the nearly-seven-hour journey of the vehicles to the Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district,” said Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department Director Swatantra Kumar Singh.

Around 100 persons worked in 30-minute shifts since Sunday to pack and load the waste in trucks, he said.

“They underwent health check-ups and were given rest every 30 minutes,” Singh added.

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Closure for Bhopal?

The highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, killing at least 5,479 persons and leaving thousands with serious and long-lasting health issues.

It is considered to be among the worst industrial disasters in the world.

Court rap

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on December 3 rebuked authorities for not clearing the Union Carbide site in Bhopal despite directions from even the Supreme Court.

The HC set a four-week deadline to shift the waste, observing that even 40 years after the gas tragedy, authorities were in a “state of inertia”.

The high court bench had warned the government of contempt proceedings if its directive was not followed.

Destruction process

“If everything is found to be fine, the waste will be incinerated within three months. Otherwise, it might take up to nine months,” Singh told PTI on Wednesday morning.

Initially, some of the waste will be burnt at the disposal unit in Pithampur and the residue (ash) will be examined to find whether any harmful elements are left, he said.

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The smoke from the incinerator will pass through special four-layer filters so that the surrounding air is not polluted, he added.

Once it is confirmed that no traces of toxic elements are left, the ash will be covered by a two-layer membrane and buried to ensure it does not come in contact with soil and water in any way.

A team of experts under the supervision of officials of the Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Board will carry out the process, Singh said.

Activists’ claims

Some local activists have claimed that 10 tonnes of Union Carbide waste was incinerated on a trial basis in Pithampur in 2015, after which the soil, underground water and water sources in surrounding villages became polluted.

But Singh rejected the claim, stating the decision to dispose of the waste at Pithampur was taken only after a report of the 2015 test and all the objections were examined.

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There would be no reason to worry, he said.

A large number of people on Sunday took out a protest march in Pithampur to oppose the disposal of Union Carbide waste in the city, which has a population of about 1.75 lakh.

(With agency inputs)