MP govt not ready to buy CSE remedial plan for Bhopal toxic waste

Madhya Pradesh government is not ready to buy CSE’s (Centre for Science and Environment) remedial plan for Bhopal toxic waste. 'Who they (CSE) are to give us advice, we will follow supreme court directives. I will not speak on the issue till the Supreme Court gives us directives,' Babulal Gaur, Minister for Bhopal Gas Relief and Rehabilitation department told BS. He refused to make any comment on the arrangement of funds but said, 'Government of India will provide funds.'

Tons of toxic waste is lying in and outside the closed factory of Union Carbide India Limited premises, CSE had the other days said, and posing risk to several lives. CSE had said it would take at least five years to remove the entire toxic waste.

'It is indeed sad that local government have done nothing to remove toxic waste which is nearly 20000 tons lying outside factory at various dumping sites. It is too difficult to live a normal life for the locals due to contamination. The Union government has funds of Rs 310 crore to remove the toxic waste,' Abdul Jabbar, who is fighting for the surviours of Bhopal for several years.

Other activists yet want The Dow Chemical Company, now owner of Union Carbide either to remove toxic waste or pay for remediation. 'We want Dow to pay for remediation, they should take liability,' said Rachana Dhingra, another activist who is working in the interest of surviours.

Nearly 350 metric ton of toxic waste is lying in warehouse in UCIL’s premises. During the past eight years, the Union and State governments have considered various options and made futile efforts to remove the toxic waste – the last one was its transportation to Germany.

As many as 15 studies have been conducted on the site and its surrounding areas and each report reveal that the toxicity of the soil and ground water is far beyond the human consumption limit. As many as 18 localities are in a radius of four kilometers from the UCIL factory premise. A poisonous gas leaked from the UCIL’s Bhopal factory on 2 December 1984 leaving many dead and several permanently injured.