40-year-old toxic waste of Union Carbide ready for shifting to disposal site

Toxic waste from Bhopal gas tragedy site to be transported to Pithampur for incineration, sparking environmental concerns.

Some 377 tons of hazardous waste from the defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal has been sealed and loaded on trucks, ready to be carried off to a disposal site about 250 km away, an official said on Wednesday (January 1, 2024).

The site chosen for this purpose is the Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district, 30 km from Indore.

As many as 12 container trucks carrying the waste will set off for the journey by Wednesday (January 1, 2024) midnight, sources said. A green corridor will be created along the route for a smooth journey.

"We are done. A hundred people in 30-minute shifts have packed the waste since Sunday (December 29, 2024). They underwent health check-ups and were given rest every 30 minutes," said Swatantra Kumar Singh, director of the state's Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court had recently rebuked the authorities for not clearing the Union Carbide site in Madhya Pradesh's capital despite directions from even the Supreme Court, saying this apathy could lead to another tragedy.

Highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, killing at least 5,479 people and leaving thousands with serious and long-lasting health issues. It is considered to be among the worst industrial disasters in the world.

"If everything is found to be fine, the waste will be incinerated within three months. Otherwise, it might take up to nine months," Mr. Singh told PTI on Wednesday (January 1, 2024) morning.