Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday allowed the state government to unload the Union Carbide waste with caution. While hearing the government's appeal requesting more time to dispose off the waste, the HC directed the state government to unload the waste and deferred the case till February 18. MP government shifted the Union Carbide waste from the Bhopal gas tragedy site after the court's order. The deadline for the government to dispose off the waste was January 6.
MP government submits affidavit
During the hearing, the government presented an affidavit stating that uproar in Pithampur occurred on the basis of miss publicity and fake media reports. Petitioners demanded that instructions should be given to the high level committee formed in the matter to present the investigation report.
The HC had given instructions for complete disposal of hazardous waste. 11 million metric tons of toxic waste is there from Bhopal gas tragedy and as of now only 337 tonnes of toxic waste has gone to Pithampur. the petitioners said.
The matter was heard by the division bench of Chief Justice SK Kait and Justice Vivek Jain. The court has deferred the hearing and the matter will now be heard after six weeks on February 18.
Protests in Pithampur
MP government's plan to dispose of 337 tons of waste linked to the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, among the worst industrial disasters in the world, has ignited protests in the area. Concerned people have come on the street demanding that the 337 tonnes of Union Carbide waste will not be incinerated in Pithampur.
Some locals claimed that when ten tonnes of Union Carbide waste was disposed of at the Pithampur facility on a trial basis in 2015, it led to contamination of soil, underground water and water sources in nearby villages.
The incineration of a huge quantity of toxic waste will be hazardous for humans as well as the environment, the villagers fear, even though the Madhya Pradesh government has assured them that there would be no harmful consequences.
The toxic waste is planned to be incinerated at Ramky Group's Industrial Waste Management Private Limited premises.
(With PTI inputs)
