Bhopal Gas Tragedy: MP Govt Assures High Court Of Union Carbide Toxic Waste Disposal In 72 Days

The Madhya Pradesh government on Thursday (March 27) informed the High Court that it can dispose of the toxic waste generated by the now-defunct Union Carbide Factory at Bhopal in a period of 72 days- by incineration at the Pithampur facility.

The State submitted an affidavit stating that the trial runs to dispose of 30 metric ton of waste, permitted by the High Court last month, were successful and that the remaining waste could be disposed of under the supervision of Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Board, at an optimum speed of 270 kg per hour.

The development comes in a 2004 PIL over government's alleged inaction to clean up the area around the Union Carbide Factory. 40 years have lapsed since the Bhopal gas tragedy. The State informed the Court that the Pithampur facility fulfils the norms of Hazardous Waste Management Rules of 2007.

The division bench of Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Vivek Jain accordingly ordered that "the exercise be done within time".

The Court has also asked the State to take into consideration the suggestions proposed by Bhopal Group for Information and Action (BGIA) for safe disposal of toxic waste. BGIA claims that the proposed incineration will only triple the amount of waste and open scope for leaching in the future.

"The biggest problem is that 300 metric tonnes of waste is being incinerated. 300 metric tonnes will not decrease. After the incineration is done, the amount of waste will be tripled and reach 900 metric tonnes. So we are spending 126 crores, tripling the 300 metric tonnes and then burying the same plastic which will leach in future. That is why we are saying that there are better ways of disposal…," activist Rachna Dhingra appearing for the body submitted today.

The Court then asked the State to consider BGIA's suggestions. It orally said,

"...What is the better method, you show us. They will take into consideration. They will act as per the norms, they will act keeping in view the safety of the people. Therefore, they will not act as you suggest or anyone else suggests. If good suggestions are there, they will take it into consideration."