Bhopal gas tragedy waste disposal: Torch rally held in Pithampur to protest move

Dhar: Several outfits opposed to the disposal of waste connected to the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy in Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district held a torch rally on Sunday.

On the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal, killing at least 5,479 persons and leaving thousands with serious health problems and long-term disabilities.

Protests have been held in Pithampur, a prominent industrial belt some 50 kilometres from the Dhar district headquarters, ever since 337 tonnes of hazardous waste from the defunct Union Carbide company arrived for disposal at a unit here.

"The torch rally was four kilometres long. The people are completely against disposal of this waste here. Since January 3, they have been giving the same message to the authorities," Hemant Hirole of Pithampur Bachao Samiti told PTI over phone.

If the administration continues to create misconceptions in the name of an awareness drive connected to the disposal, then a "mahapanchayat" will be held in Pithampur and protesters will resort to an indefinite fast, Hirole added.

Kameshwar Dodiyar, Bharat Adivsai Party MLA from Sailana who took part in the torch rally, said the state government must listen to the people and take the waste to any other place in the country or abroad for disposal.

Over the past several days, the Dhar administration has been carrying out an awareness drive to tell people that the waste poses no harm to humans or the environment.

Earlier in the day, state minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said the High Court ordered the disposal of the waste after carefully observing the process.

Everything was being done scientifically, he said.

He urged residents to watch awareness videos, adding that a 'Jan Samvad' event could be organised in the presence of the collector to answer people's queries and doubts.