Bhopal Gas Disaster: Incineration of Waste Delayed Until January 6; Government to Submit Protest Findings to High Court
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Bhopal, January 4 (NationPress) In response to a day-long protest by residents of Pithampur against the incineration of chemical waste from the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) factory, the site of the devastating Bhopal gas tragedy, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav led a high-level meeting on Friday night with several ministers and senior officials.
The meeting, which extended into the early hours of Saturday, included Deputy Chief Ministers Jagdish Devda and Rajendra Shukla, Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, state BJP chief V.D. Sharma, and Dhar MLA Neena Verma.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister announced that the government would provide a comprehensive report on the Pithampur incident to the Madhya Pradesh High Court and subsequently determine the next steps regarding the chemical waste-laden trucks.
"The waste was transported in accordance with the High Court's directives. Our government values public sentiment, and a detailed account of the actual events will be submitted to the court," the Chief Minister stated.
It is worth noting that in its earlier ruling on December 3, 2024, the High Court had granted the state administration three weeks to relocate the toxic waste and had requested a report on the situation.
"The government will present its findings to the court on January 6, and until then, the incineration of the chemical waste will be halted," Yadav confirmed.
On Friday, large-scale protests erupted in several areas of the Pithampur industrial zone located approximately 40 km from Indore.
Protesters clashed with police, resulting in prohibitory orders being implemented at the location. Two individuals who attempted self-immolation during the protest suffered burn injuries and were taken to a hospital in Indore.
The government has asserted that the Pithampur facility is the only appropriate site for incinerating chemical waste, as it is specifically designed for such operations. Incineration of waste generated by industrial units across the state has been ongoing since 2006.
The container trucks carrying 337 tonnes of chemical waste arrived in Pithampur on January 2 and have since been secured at the premises of the Ramki factory located in the Ashapura region of Dhar district.
