Bhopal Gas Tragedy: SC refuses urgent hearing against incineration of hazardous waste

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to urgently hear a plea against the incineration of hazardous waste of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, which claimed 5,479 lives and left more than five lakh as maimed.

The court had on February 27 refused to interfere with a Madhya Pradesh High Court order on shifting of the toxic waste and disposing it in the Pithampur area in the Dhar district.

As a counsel mentioned the matter for urgent listing, a bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma asked, "You have failed this attempt before the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Your prayer was rejected. You made an attempt to stop this before this court also. No interim order has been granted. Now during vacation, you want us to stay all this? For how many years, we are fighting with that waste?"

The bench said the matter would be heard after the partial court working days in the apex court would be over in July.

Highly toxic gas methyl isocyanate leaked from the Union Carbide factory during the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, eventually killing 5,479 people and maiming over five lakh. It is considered to be among the worst industrial disasters in the world.

Seeking urgent listing, the counsel said the case related to incineration of around 377 tonne of hazardous waste.

"What do you want in that matter?" the bench asked.

The petitioner sought a stay on the order asking for incineration of the waste, the counsel said.

"You have made all attempts. All these NGOs; all these so called social activists. No. Very sorry. The high court is monitoring it," the bench observed.

When the counsel said the waste would be incinerated by then, the bench said it was being disposed of under the supervision of expert body.