Madhya Pradesh High Court to Consider Other Stakeholders Before Deciding on Union Carbide Waste Management

Bhopal, Jan 7 (NationPress) During a court session in Madhya Pradesh on Monday, the judiciary announced it will consider the concerns of other stakeholders prior to issuing further instructions regarding the management of hazardous waste from Union Carbide.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav stated on Monday that his administration has presented a status report concerning the hazardous waste transported from the Union Carbide facility in Bhopal to Pithampur.
He further noted that the court expressed satisfaction regarding adherence to regulations throughout the collection and transfer of the hazardous waste from the now-defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal to Pithampur.
"The Madhya Pradesh government has requested a duration of six weeks, which has been approved by the court. During this timeframe, the government will work to resolve existing issues and reach a consensus before seeking further judicial directions for waste disposal," the Chief Minister stated.
CM Yadav emphasized that the waste has been moved from Bhopal to Pithampur in accordance with the court's directives and that subsequent actions will be taken as needed.
"Our primary aim is to regain the trust of the residents of the state. We guarantee that every action related to the disposal of hazardous waste will be executed in alignment with the court's orders," he added.
Simultaneously, the Chief Minister urged the public not to fall prey to rumors and misinformation regarding the hazardous waste disposal.
During the hearing, the bench comprising Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Vivek Jain instructed the media to refrain from disseminating inaccurate information concerning the waste disposal.
This observation came after the state government indicated that unrest had been incited in the Pithampur area due to misleading and fabricated news regarding the Union Carbide waste management.
It is significant to note that in compliance with the court's directive issued on December 3, a three-day operation was conducted to collect the chemical waste from the defunct Union Carbide factory, which was loaded onto 12 container trucks and transported to Pithampur, located approximately 40 km from Indore, on January 2.
The hazardous waste had been situated at the Union Carbide facility since the tragic incident on the night of December 2-3, 1984, when 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 many with severe injuries and enduring health complications.