Bhopal gas tragedy toxic waste transported amid protests. Here’s why

Forty years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, 377 tons of hazardous waste have been removed from the abandoned Union Carbide factory for proper disposal amid protests.

As reported by PTI, the toxic waste was transported on Wednesday night in 12 sealed container trucks from Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, to the Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district, located 250 km away.

Some local activists have claimed that 10 tons 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.

Also Read: 40-year-old toxic waste from Bhopal-based Union Carbide factory leaves for disposal site in trucks | Watch video

“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.

“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 journey of the vehicles to the Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district,” said Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department Director Swatantra Kumar Singh. Nearly 100 persons worked in 30-minute shifts since Sunday to pack and load the waste in trucks, he said, as reported by PTI.

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

The highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory during the night of December 2-3, 1984, killing at least 5,479 people and causing severe, long-lasting health problems for thousands more.

This disaster is regarded as one of the worst industrial accidents in the world. On December 3, the Madhya Pradesh High Court reprimanded authorities for failing to clear the Union Carbide site in Bhopal, despite directives from the Supreme Court.

Also Read: The Bhopal gas-leak disaster still haunts us with lessons left half learnt

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. “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. 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.

Singh said that 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.