Madhya Pradesh High Court Allocates Six Weeks for Union Carbide Waste Management, Next Hearing on February 18
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Bhopal, Jan 6 (NationPress) The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday allotted six weeks for the state government to address the disposal of waste from the Union Carbide factory in compliance with safety regulations, with the next hearing set for February 18.
In its report, the state government outlined the current status of the waste disposal and mentioned ongoing protests.
During the proceedings, a petitioner raised concerns regarding the disposal of hazardous waste linked to the Bhopal gas tragedy, stating that the state had moved chemical waste without consulting the local residents of the Pithampur industrial zone.
Advocate Abhinav Dhanotkar, representing a group of doctors from MGM College Indore, argued that the proposed incineration site for the toxic waste is over 35 km from Indore, the state’s largest city. He emphasized that hazardous waste could have enduring detrimental effects.
Following the submission of a comprehensive status report concerning the collection, transportation, and protests in Pithampur, the state government requested the Court for an additional six weeks for the incineration process.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Vivek Jain, stated that they would also consider the concerns from other stakeholders, including the MGM doctors. The division bench granted the state government time after Advocate General Prashant Singh requested an extension.
The plan to dispose of 337 tons of Union Carbide waste in Pithampur, located approximately 250 km from the state capital, has ignited protests, including two reported self-immolation attempts.
During the previous hearing on December 3, 2024, the High Court criticized the authorities for not disposing of the waste at the now-closed factory in Bhopal. The court noted that even 40 years post-disaster, the authorities remain in a state of inertia that could potentially lead to another catastrophe.
The High Court had previously instructed the government to remove and transport the waste from the site within four weeks, warning of contempt proceedings if the order was not followed.
This directive was issued in response to a writ petition filed in 2004 concerning the waste disposal from the Union Carbide plant, which resulted in one of the world’s most devastating industrial disasters.
Prior to the arrival of the sealed containers of waste in Dhar district on Thursday, and in light of the subsequent protests there, Swatantra Kumar Singh, director of the state’s Gas Relief and Rehabilitation Department, stated that if all conditions are met, the waste would be incinerated within three months.
On the night of December 2-3, 1984, methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas escaped from the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal, resulting in the deaths of at least 5,479 individuals and leaving countless others with severe and lasting health complications.
