Burning of Carbide waste in Dhar won't release toxic gases, assures govt official

Indore: The incineration of 337 tonnes of Union Carbide factory waste at a disposal unit in Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district will not release any toxic gas that can harm life, property or the environment, a senior government official assured on Friday.

The assurance has come amid fierce protests by locals in Pithampur against the state government's plan to dispose of the waste from the defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal.

Highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal on the intervening night of December 2 and 3, 1984, killing 5,479 people. It is considered one of the world's biggest industrial disasters.

On January 2, the waste, packed in 12 sealed containers, was shifted from the now-defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal to the disposal site at Pithampur, located 250 km from the state capital. The move sparked protests by locals, who claimed that the disposal would harm humans and the environment.

Talking to reporters, Dr Navneet Mohan Kothari, principal secretary of the state environment department, said, "I want to assure everyone on behalf of me and the state pollution control board that the burning the waste of Union Carbide factory will not release any poisonous gas that may cause loss of life or property to any person or spread pollution in the environment." He said the state government has already clarified that the harmful effect of this waste has ended.

Kothari said due to the tragedy associated with Union Carbide, people are apprehensive about the waste from the defunct factory.

"All such apprehensions are being removed. Awareness is being created among locals, and we hope people will understand our point," he said.

Locals have claimed that 10 tonnes of Union Carbide waste was destroyed as a test in Pithampur in 2015, after which the soil, groundwater and water sources of the surrounding villages were polluted.

The state government has, however, rejected this claim.

On January 6, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the state government to take steps within six weeks to dispose of the Union Carbide factory waste while following safety guidelines.

The Dhar district administration has started a series of "Jan Samvad" programmes in industrial units of Pithampur to spread awareness about the plan to dispose of the waste.

Officials said "master trainers" have been coached to interact with labourers and other employees at industrial units to clear "misconceptions".

There are about 1,250 units in the Pithampur industrial area, where thousands, including migrant workers, are employed.