The disaster by American company Union Carbide in Bhopal in 1984 left thousands dead. After 40 years, the process to dispose of the waste in Pithampur has started but locals are protesting with two men setting themselves on fire.
The night of December 2-3, 1984 left more than 5,479 people dead and lakhs injured in Bhopal. The Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal released a toxic cloud of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other chemicals into the surrounding area. The leak was caused by a combination of poor maintenance, safety lapses, and human error.
After 40 years, the decision to dispose of the toxic waste was settled with a safe site in Pithampur, around 250 km from Bhopal, chosen for disposal. With this decision coming in, locals in Pithampur protested the decision with two men setting themself on fire. But what is the issue? Is it not environmentally safe? More details.
The work to remove 377 metric tonnes of hazardous waste from the now-defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal has got underway ahead of its planned disposal near Indore. The development comes weeks after the Madhya Pradesh High Court chided the authorities for not taking action despite repeated directions to clear the site in the Madhya Pradesh capital.
The MP High Court on December 3 set a four-week deadline to shift the toxic waste from the factory, observing that even 40 years after the gas disaster, the authorities were in a “state of inertia” that may cause “another tragedy”.
Half-a-dozen GPS-enabled trucks with specially reinforced containers reached the factory site as part of the waste disposal process. Several workers wearing special PPE kits and officials of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation, environmental agencies, doctors and incineration experts were seen working at the site. Police were also deployed around the factory.
“The waste of Bhopal gas tragedy is a stigma which is going to disappear after 40 years. We will dispose of it by sending it safely to Pithampur,” Swatantra Kumar Singh, director of the state's Gas Relief and Rehabilitation Department told PTI.
After the decision to dispose of the waste in Pithampur, two men set themselves ablaze during a protest against the disposal. Media reports said that the men suffered burn injuries and have been hospitalised. During the protest, which saw shops and markets remaining closed in the town, the two men - aged around 40 - poured an inflammable liquid on their bodies and set themselves ablaze, witnesses said. Protesters questioned why the waste wasn't incinerated in Bhopal itself or sent abroad.
Police also carried out a lathicharge to disperse some protesters after they blocked a key road. After the protests, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav on January 4 said that the state govt will take the people's concerns to court, and no action will be carried out until further court orders. The state라이브 바카라 Chief Secretary Anurag Jain requested the MP High Court to grant more time for the disposal process. "We will pray to the Madhya Pradesh High Court to grant us more time to dispose of the waste scientifically. It will be done after taking the people into confidence," media reports quoted Jain.
According to media reports citing officials, the waste disposal plant in Pithampur is the only state-of-the-art incineration facility in Madhya Pradesh. The hazardous waste will be burned on a specialized wooden platform, positioned 25 feet above the ground, with strict scientific protocols in place to ensure there is no environmental contamination. Tests will be conducted to determine the optimal time for incineration, taking into account factors such as season and ambient temperature.
At a rate of 90 kg per hour, it will take approximately 153 days to dispose of the entire 337 tonnes of waste. If the incineration speed is increased to 270 kg per hour, the process will be completed in about 51 days, reports said.
Post the decision, a petition was filed in the National Green Tribunal's Bhopal bench seeking an assurance from the Madhya Pradesh government that the disposal of Union Carbide waste won't harm people in nearby areas. The petition, filed by a Jabalpur-based social organisation, also seeks direction to the authorities in Dhar to submit on oath that the residents in the area won't be harmed due to the disposal of the Carbide waste. It urged the green court to direct the state's chief secretary to declare on oath about the safety of people in Pithampur in Dhar district where the Carbide waste has been transported for disposal.
Before the petition, Chief Minister Yadav on January 1, 2024 said that the disposal of the toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal will not have a negative impact on the environment in Pithampur where it is to be incinerated.
The tragedy occurred on the night of December 2-3, 1984, at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal when a leak of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas released a toxic cloud into the surrounding area. Official estimates report that around 5,479 people died within the first few days of the disaster, while other estimates suggest the number could be much higher.
Over the years, the tragedy caused long-term health issues, including respiratory problems, birth defects, and cancer, affecting both survivors and their descendants.