SC concerned over Bhopal toxic wastes

The Supreme Court on Monday expressed its concern over the indifferent attitude shown by the Centre  and others in disposing of the toxic wastes lying at Bhopal’s defunct Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) plant since 1984.

A Bench of Justices G S Singhvi and S J Mukhopadhaya asked the Centre to take the final decision in the matter by the end of June.

Saying that it did not want to run the government, the Bench observed, “You are not sure even after 28 years, it is because people affected and living in Bhopal are poor. It is a failure on your part to deal with this.” The apex court had on May 11 put on hold its order directing disposal of 350 tonnes of toxic waste lying in the UCIL plant at the Pithampur waste treatment storage and disposal facility (TSDF) in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district.

The Madhya Pradesh government as well as some NGOs had approached the apex court raising different issues including the environmental impact of such an exercise and the apprehension prevailing among the people with regard to the disposal of waste.

During the proceedings, the Centre submitted that it will soon decide on the issue as the GoM will be meeting on June 8.

“In Pithampur, people are bound to protest and, they are entitled to protest. You have not taken any decision. Even this affidavit of yours is so vague and you always say that you are hopeful,” the Bench said.

“The court never wants and should never want to run the government. It is not our job. If media had continuously followed this like an environmental issue then the picture would have been different,” the Bench said, adding that the affected people can approach the court for compensation.

The worst industrial disaster due to the leak of methyl isocyanate at a plant of Union Carbide India Ltd in Bhopal on the night of December 2, 1984, had officially claimed lives of 5,295 people and left over five lakh afflicted with deadly diseases.