Bhopal, Dec 2 (NationPress) After more than four decades since the catastrophic incident known as the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, a significant step towards remediation occurred when 358 metric tons of hazardous waste from the abandoned Union Carbide facility was finally relocated to Pithampur on January 1 of this year.

Following the transfer of this toxic material, the primary challenge for authorities was to alleviate public concerns about the incineration process, ensuring it would not jeopardize human health, water quality, or the environment.

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, the Madhya Pradesh government demonstrated its commitment and successfully addressed the opposition. Consequently, the waste underwent incineration in a series of phases.

However, the government now faces a new dilemma concerning the approximately 900 tons of residual ash produced from the incineration process.

This issue was exacerbated when the Madhya Pradesh High Court dismissed the state’s plan to store the toxic ash in October.

As a result, the 900 metric tons of remaining ash remain stored at a private facility where the toxic waste was treated.

The state is now tasked with determining an effective disposal method for this hazardous ash to resolve the issue permanently.

A senior official with the Bhopal Gas Tragedy and Rehabilitation Department disclosed to IANS that the government is contemplating alternative solutions, which will likely be presented to the High Court for approval in the upcoming weeks.

Meanwhile, survivors of the Bhopal disaster continue to seek justice, with several cases active in the Bhopal District Court and the Supreme Court, including the potential prosecution of Warren Anderson, the former CEO of Union Carbide, who passed away in 2014.

Tragically, the gas leak incident, involving the highly toxic methyl isocyanate, resulted in the deaths of at least 5,479 individuals and left countless others with lifelong disabilities, occurring during the night of December 2-3, 1984.