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Bhopal Gas Tragedy
All 337 tonnes of waste of the now defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal has been burnt to ashes at a disposal plant in Pithampur, nearly six months after being brought to the unit, an official said on Monday. While 30 tons of the waste was burnt earlier during three trials at the plant, the remaining 307 tons was incinerated between May 5 and the intervening night of June 29-30, the State Pollution Control Board official said, marking the end of a dark chapter of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy. The waste disposal at the plant in Dhar district's Pithampur industrial area was undertaken following directives of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The highly poisonous methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal on the intervening night of December 2 and 3, 1984, causing one of the biggest industrial disasters in the world. At least 5,479 persons were killed and thousands were maimed. The process of burning 307 tonnes of the factory waste at the disposal plant ...
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday allowed the state government to dispose of the chemical waste from the defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal at a Pithampur plant after it was told that a trial incineration did not cause any adverse consequences. The four-decade-old hazardous waste shall be disposed of in a safe manner at the plant in Dhar district within 72 days, said a division bench of Chief Justice S K Kait and Justice Vivek Jain. The government had asked for 72 days to complete the process. Some local organisations in Pithampur were opposed to the disposal of the waste near the town, but the government, in its affidavit filed before the court on Thursday, said the three trials of disposal were successful and did not lead to any adverse impact. The court then directed the government to ensure that all safety measures were taken, and dispose of the waste. The government was asked to file a report on June 30, said senior advocate Naman Nagrath, representing petitioner
The second round of the trial incineration of the waste linked to the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy at Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district is likely to begin from Wednesday, officials said. Preparations for the second round continued on Tuesday. As part of the plan to dispose of 337 tonnes of waste from the defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, it was transported to the disposal plant run by a private company in Pithampur, about 250 km from the state capital, on January 2. The Madhya Pradesh High Court had ordered that trials for the disposal of this waste be conducted in three rounds with adherence to all safety norms, and also directed that reports of all three tests are to be presented before the court on March 27. Srinivas Dwivedi, regional officer of the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), told PTI, "The first round of incineration of 10 tonnes of Union Carbide factory waste at the Pithampur waste disposal plant began on February 28 and ended on March 3 (Monday). The ..
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to interfere with the Madhya Pradesh High Court order on shifting toxic waste from the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy and disposing it in Pithampur area of Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and A G Masih also refused to stay Thursday's trial run of disposal of the waste from the Union Carbide India Ltd plant. It noted that experts from NEERI, NGRI and CPCB have given their views on the issues, which were considered by the high court as well as the expert panel. The bench asked aggrieved parties, including civil society members, to approach the high court which is seized of the matter. On February 25, the top court asked authorities to apprise it about the precautions taken to dispose the waste. Around 377 tonnes of hazardous waste from the now defunct Union Carbide factory was shifted to Pithampur industrial area, about 250 km away from Bhopal and 30 km from Indore, for disposal at a plant. Highly toxic gas methyl isocyanat
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday allowed the state government to carry out a trial run of the disposal of 40-year-old chemical waste from the defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal in Pithampur area of Dhar district. The incineration at a disposal plant inside the industrial area of Pithampur will be carried out in three phases from February 27, Advocate General Prashant Singh told reporters here after a court hearing. The government on Tuesday filed a compliance report, sought by the high court in January, about the steps it had taken for creating public awareness about the waste disposal process, he said. Locals in Pithampur are fiercely opposed to the planned disposal, near their town, of the waste linked to the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy which killed more than 5,000 people. It has carried out an awareness campaign and now a trial run of the disposal should be allowed, the government requested the court. As per the HC order, the trial run will be carried out in three ...
Madhya Pradesh Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya on Sunday said the high court ordered the incineration of the 337 tonnes of waste from the Union Carbide factory at a unit in Pithampur after carefully observing the process. Earlier this month, protests rocked Pithampur, around 50 km from Dhar district headquarters, after the waste from Bhopal-based Union Carbide reached a private facility for incineration. Since the protest, the local administration has been carrying out an intense awareness campaign to allay the said misconceptions about waste disposal. Talking to reporters after participating in a Republic Day function in Dhar, Minister Vijayvargiya expressed satisfaction with the public awareness campaign in the district. He cited an awareness video that answered all questions raised in a previous meeting. "The work of waste disposal is being done scientifically. I think the high court has observed the entire incineration process, and only after that directives have been issued. ..
Authorities in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district on Monday started coaching 50 master trainers about 337 tonnes of Union Carbide factory waste brought to Pithampur for incineration before they set out to spread awareness that the waste is not hazardous. The state government has gone on the backfoot after the public outcry against waste disposal and two self-immolation bids in the Pithampur industrial area, which witnessed protests earlier this month. Talking to PTI, Dhar Collector Priyank Mishra said, "We are preparing 50-odd master trainers, including science teachers, professors and officials. They will be informed about the exact status of the waste before they reach out to people to dispel misinformation." On January 6, the principal bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in Jabalpur granted the state government six weeks to act on the Union Carbide factory waste disposal as per the safety guidelines. The authorities had sought time to educate people and dispel their fear about was
Various organisations on Thursday protested in Indore against the plan to dispose of 337 tonnes of Union Carbide factory waste at Pithampur in Dhar district, about 30 km from the city. The protesters claim that the move poses a threat to the health of the people living in the industrial town and the environment and will also harm the residents of Indore, Madhya Pradesh's financial capital, and its surrounding areas. The protesters gathered outside the Revenue Divisional Commissioner's office here. Protests have erupted at various places since the waste from the Bhopal-based Union Carbide factory, which triggered one of the world's worst industrial disasters, was transported to Pithampur last week for incineration. Our only demand is that the waste of the Union Carbide factory should not be burnt in Pithampur, said Ramswaroop Mantri, convener of farmer body United Kisan Morcha in the Malwa-Nimar region of western Madhya Pradesh. We are trying to raise awareness among the people thr
Senior officials on Sunday visited the unit in Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district, where 337 tonnes of toxic waste linked to the Bhopal gas tragedy is set to be incinerated, for inspection after a rumour spread on social media that one of the containers carrying the waste had gone missing. Information was being spread through Whatsapp groups that one of the containers carrying the waste had gone missing from the premises, after which a group comprising residents and elected representatives visited the site and confirmed all containers are accounted for, said Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Pramod Singh Gurjar. People must not pay heed to such rumours, Gurjar said. Pithampur Bacaho Samiti convener Hemant Hirole said the delegation, of which he was a part, inspected the site and found all the containers were in place in sealed and unloaded condition. The hazardous waste had reached Ramky Enviro Company, where the incineration will take place, on Thursday. Local lawyer ...
A mob on Saturday pelted stones at the firm in Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district where 337 tonnes of Union Carbide waste linked to the Bhopal gas tragedy is proposed to be incinerated, a police official said. A mob of 100-150 persons pelted stones at the gate of the unit, Pithampur police station inspector Om Prakash Ahir told PTI. A probe is underway to identify those behind the incident and take further legal action, Ahir added. The incident comes a day after the town was rocked by protests against the disposal plan amid a bandh call given by the Pithampur Bachao Samiti. On Friday, a mob of 500-600 persons had marched to Ramky Group's Industrial Waste Management Private Limited premises, where the waste is set to be incinerated, but police managed to disperse them in time. Hours later, the district administration had clamped prohibitory orders under section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Surakhsa Sanhita (BNSS) around the premises of the unit. It will be in force till ...
Madhya Pradesh police have registered five cases against protesters in Pithampur of Dhar district who opposed the planned disposal of 337 tonnes of toxic waste linked to the Bhopal gas tragedy in their town, an official said on Saturday. Protests rocked Pithampur, around 50 km from the district headquarters, on Friday after toxic waste reached Ramky Enviro company, where the incineration is to be carried out. The protests prompted the authorities to impose prohibitory orders under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) banning the assembly of 50 or more persons around Ramky Enviro. Superintendent of Police (SP) Manoj Kumar Singh said five separate cases were registered on Friday night in connection with the protests for disrupting public peace. He said in some cases, people were named, while in others, first information reports (FIRs) were registered against unidentified persons. Singh said normalcy prevailed in Pithampur town on Saturday morning, and all ...
Amid 337 tonnes of toxic waste linked to the Bhopal gas tragedy arriving in Dhar from the defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal on Thursday and ensuing protests, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister addressed "doubters" and said the issue should not be politicised. Yadav asserted the waste comprised 60 per cent mud and 40 per cent naphtol used to make pesticide methyl isocyanate (MIC) and was "not at all harmful". "Its poison lasts for around 25 years as per scientists and this tragedy took place 40 years ago," he said. Highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas had leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal in the intervening night of December 2-3 in 1984, killing 5,479 persons and leaving thousands of others with serious, long-term health issues. It is widely acknowledged as the world's worst industrial disaster. Forty years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, 337 tons of waste was shifted from the defunct Union Carbide factory for its disposal at a unit in Dhar district. It .
The disposal of 337 tonnes of toxic waste linked to the Bhopal gas tragedy must be undertaken after detailed discussions with scientists and experts as it has a bearing on the wellbeing of citizens, senior BJP leader and former Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan said on Thursday. Highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas had leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal in the intervening night of December 2-3 in 1984, killing 5,479 persons and leaving thousands of others with serious, long-term health issues. It is widely acknowledged as the world's worst industrial disaster. Mahajan's comments came hours after the waste arrived in Dhar, some 30 kilometres from here, in trucks for disposal. "Our hearts tremble when we recollect the horrific Bhopal gas tragedy. The toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory must be disposed of. However, it should be done after detailed discussions with scientists, experts and local residents since it is a question of people's health," ...
Forty years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, the shifting of some 377 tons of hazardous waste began from the defunct Union Carbide factory on Wednesday night for its disposal, an official said. The toxic waste is being shifted in 12 sealed container trucks to the Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district, 250 km away from Bhopal. "12 container trucks carrying the waste set off on a non-stop journey around 9 pm. A green corridor has been created for the vehicles which are expected to reach Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district in seven hours," said Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department Director Swatantra Kumar Singh. He said around 100 people worked in 30-minute shifts since Sunday to pack and load the waste in trucks. "They underwent health check-ups and were given rest every 30 minutes," he added. Highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, killing at least 5,479 peop
The work to remove 377 metric tonnes of hazardous waste from the now-defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal got underway on Sunday 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, including that of the Supreme Court, to clear the site in the MP capital. The state of inertia may cause another tragedy, it had said. On the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, the highly toxic gas methyl isocyanate (MIC) leaked from the Union Carbide pesticides factory killing 5,479 people and leaving more than five lakh others with health effects and long-term disabilities. About half a dozen GPS-enabled trucks with specially reinforced containers reached the factory site on Sunday morning. Several workers wearing special PPE kits and officials of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation, environmental agencies, doctors and incineration experts were seen working at the ...
Organisations representing survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy on Tuesday took out a protest march to mark the 40th anniversary of one the biggest industrial disasters in the world and demanded an end to the "injustice" faced by them. The rally participants, carrying an effigy of "corporate crime" at the now defunct Union Carbide factory site, denounced various regional, national and international leaders and relief organisations for their continued involvement in the "denial" of justice and a life of dignity to survivors of the catastrophe. A large number of women and men, holding placards, marched towards the abandoned factory site while raising the slogan "Bhopal Ka Insaaf Karo". On the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, the highly toxic gas methyl isocyanate (MIC) leaked from Union Carbide's pesticide plant, killing 5,479 persons and maiming more than five lakh others. Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh president Rashida Bee, alleged that successive US ..