Two men suffer burns in protest against Union Carbide waste disposal
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav says the waste is "not at all harmful"
Two men were hospitalised with burn injuries in Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh on Friday after they set themselves ablaze against the disposal of 337 tonne of Union Carbide waste from Bhopal in the small town.
The two, both aged around 40, were rushed to a hospital and were said to be out of danger. Pithampur, with a population of about 1.75 lakh, lies some 30 km from Indore.
Although the men survived, the government’s decision to incinerate the waste from the now-shuttered Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal has generated tensions in Pithampur.
Also Read: MP: 40 years after gas disaster, Bhopal rid of Union Carbide toxic waste
Pithampur shuts down in protest
“The situation is under control but tense,” Dhar Superintendent of Police Manoj Singh told PTI over the phone from a protest site near the Pithampur bus stand.
Protests were also held at other places in the town, Singh said.
Shops and markets were shut in the town amid a general strike called by the Pithampur Bachao Samiti, which says the government move would harm the local people and environment.
Carbide waste reaches town
On the night of December 2-3, 1984, tonne of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Carbide factory in Bhopal, killing and maiming tens of thousands. Many continue to suffer from long-term health issues.
The authorities have shifted all 337 tonnes of waste from the Carbide factory to Pithampur for scientific disposal. The decision has triggered protests in the town.
The material from Bhopal reached an incineration unit in Pithampur on Thursday.
Protests grip Pithampur
On Friday, a group of protesters blocked the road near Eicher Motors, but the police prevailed over them and restored normal traffic after using canes to disperse the crowds.
Sandeep Raghuvanshi, who has been on a hunger strike at the bus stand since Thursday, said a large number of people have expressed solidarity with him over his protest against the disposal of the Carbide waste.
Court pulls up MP government
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on December 3 pulled up the authorities for not clearing the Carbide site despite court directives. It set a four-week deadline to shift the waste.
The HC had warned the government of contempt proceedings if its directive was not followed.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday asserted that the waste comprised 60 per cent mud and 40 per cent naphthol used to make MIC and was "not at all harmful".