Union Carbide waste containers unloaded in Pithampur; no decision on disposal till next HC hearing

Toxic waste from Bhopal's Union Carbide plant unloaded in Pithampur, sparking protests ahead of disposal court hearing.

Waste containers from the defunct Union Carbide plant in Bhopal were unloaded from their trucks at a waste management facility at Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district on Thursday, five days before the Jabalpur High Court is next scheduled to hear a case regarding the disposal of the waste. This comes forty years after a gas leak at the Union Carbide plant killed thousands in Bhopal.

Dhar Collector Priyank Mishra said that the unloading of containers was being undertaken in consultation with and in the presence of local representatives, reiterating that the incineration of the waste has not started.

The 358 tonnes of toxic chemical waste have been lying in 12 trucks at the Pithampur Industrial Waste Management Private Limited, owned by the Ramky Group, since January 2. The State government moved the waste from the defunct factory, intending to incinerate it at the facility in Pithampur, an industrial town near Indore. The move prompted mass protests in Pithampur and nearby areas, forcing the government to seek six weeks from the High Court for consensus building. 

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for February 18, spurring the revival of protests in Pithampur. 

“The waste will continue to be inside the containers and they are not being unlocked. If any practical aspects emerge in the future, they will have to be taken under consideration but only when the scientific experts recommend that,” Mr. Mishra told reporters outside the facility. He clarified that any further action will only occur after the public is taken into confidence. 

“Any decision on the burning [of the waste] will be taken after all the facts are presented before the court during the next hearing,” he added. 

Pithampur sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Pramod Gurjar denied rumours that incineration is starting, adding that the containers are being unloaded following all safety measures. “The claims about the start of the burning process are incorrect. No misinformation or false rumours should be spread,” he said.