MP govt begins disposal of toxic waste from Union Carbide factory

Forty years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, the shifting of some 377 tons of hazardous waste began from the defunct Union Carbide factory last night for its disposal. 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. 

Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department Director Swatantra Kumar Singh that a green corridor was created for the vehicles transporting the hazardous waste. He said, around 100 people worked in 30-minute shifts since Sunday to pack and load the waste in trucks. Initially, some of the waste will be burnt at the waste disposal unit in Pithampur and the residue (ash) will be



examined to find whether any harmful elements are left, Singh said. The smoke from the incinerator will pass through special four-layer filters so that the surrounding air is not polluted, he said.

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 people and leaving thousands with serious and long-lasting health issues. It is considered to be among the worst industrial disasters in the world.

Madhya Pradesh High Court on December 3 rebuked authorities for not clearing the Union Carbide site in Bhopal despite directions from the Supreme Court and set a four-week deadline to shift the waste.