Pithampur residents oppose disposal of Union Carbide waste in town on Bhopal tragedy anniversary

Pithampur: On the 41st anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy on Wednesday, residents of Pithampur urged authorities not to dispose of the 900 tons of ash produced from the incineration of toxic waste from the defunct Union Carbide factory in their town.

According to officials, the ash is safely stored in a leak-proof shed at a private plant in Pithampur where 358 tons of toxic waste, including 19 tons of contaminated soil from the defunct Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, was incinerated using a scientific process.

The government had planned to dispose of the ash by dumping it in a special multi-layered landfill cell being constructed at the same plant. But in October, the Madhya Pradesh High Court said it can not be allowed, as the site is close to human habitation.

When the government decided to incinerate the toxic waste at Pithampur, 250 km from Bhopal, the plan had faced considerable opposition from local residents who feared it would contaminate the environment and lead to adverse health effects.

The people are now expressing apprehension that any leakage of the ash from the landfill cell could cause serious harm to the local population and environment, and demanding that it be buried somewhere else.

The disposal plant is located adjacent to Tarpura village in the Pithampur industrial area. Prakash Sarkate, who has lived in this village of about 20,000 for nearly 30 years, told PTI that his home is just 500 meters from the plant.

"We demand that the government address public concerns and relocate the Union Carbide waste ash," he said.

Locals had strongly opposed the burning of Union Carbide waste at the plant, but to no avail, Sarkate said.

Nirmala Panwar, who also lives in Tarpura, claimed that villagers frequently suffer from colds, fevers and eye irritation. "We do not drink water from the sources near our homes. The water looks dirty and makes one's throat sore," she said.

State Pollution Control Board officials had claimed that emissions of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen fluoride and nitrogen oxides, as well as levels of mercury, cadmium and other heavy metals were found to be within standard limits during the incineration.

They also stated that the incineration did not cause any adverse health effects among the plant employees or residents of the surrounding areas.

The matter of disposal of Union Carbide waste at the Pithampur plant is pending in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, and the disposal process is being carried out under the court's supervision.

On October 8, the High Court's principal bench at Jabalpur rejected a proposal to dispose of the waste ash in a landfill cell being constructed on the plant's premises, saying its disposal near human habitation is "unacceptable", and directed the state government to find an alternative site and submit a report.

In its order, the court referred to an interim application filed by an intervener, stating that investigations had found mercury levels in the ash to be higher than the permissible limit.

So far, government officials are mum about their plans for an alternative site in the light of the high court order.

Anil Dwivedi, a social activist from Pithampur, said, "We want the state government to comply with the court's direction. The Union Carbide waste ash should be disposed of at a location where there is no risk of harm to humans and the environment, rather than at the Pithampur plant."

On the night of December 2 and 3, 1984, highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal. The gas leak killed at least 5,479 people and maimed thousands. It is considered one of the world's worst industrial disasters.