New Delhi:
Nearly 40 years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, the Madhya Pradesh government is finally taking action to dispose of Union Carbide’s 337 metric tonnes (MT) of toxic waste. This waste lying at the ‘Union Carbide’ factory responsible for the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984 will be destroyed at an industrial waste disposal unit at Pithampur near Indore. On March 4 this year, the central government had allocated Rs 126 crore for garbage disposal.
There was leakage of poisonous gas ‘methyl isocyanate’ in Bhopal during the night of 2nd and 3rd December 1984. The incident, considered one of the world’s worst industrial tragedies, killed 5,479 people and left more than half a million people suffering from health problems and long-term disabilities.
State government officials said that arrangements are being finalized to transport 337 tonnes of chemical waste from the ‘Union Carbide’ factory, which has been closed since the Bhopal gas tragedy, to the waste disposal unit of a private company in Pithampur. Pithampur is a major industrial area of the state.
Madhya Pradesh High Court, expressing displeasure over the non-disposal of toxic waste of ‘Union Carbide’ factory even after 40 years of Bhopal gas tragedy, had on December 3 directed the state government to send this waste to the designated waste disposal unit within four weeks. Go.
What has happened so far in the garbage disposal matter?
In 2004, a public interest litigation was filed in the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The court constituted a task force under the chairmanship of the Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Government of India. In 2005, experts from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) identified a world-class incinerator owned by Bharuch Enviro-Infrastructure Limited (BEIL) in Ankleshwar, Gujarat for safe disposal of waste. But after protests in Gujarat in 2007 and the intervention of the Supreme Court in 2009, it was stopped.
The task force identified other treatment, storage and disposal facility (TSDF) sites including Dungigal in Hyderabad and Taloja in Mumbai. In 2010, the Supreme Court granted permission to burn 346MT of waste at the TSDF in Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh after a successful trial. This decision was challenged by the state two years later and a special permission petition was filed in the Supreme Court in 2012 arguing that “the facility is not technically suitable for burning the toxic waste of Bhopal Gas, which is the equivalent of industrial waste.” is more dangerous than.”
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), which had submitted a proposal for waste disposal in Germany at a cost of Rs 24.56 crore, but withdrew it in 2012 after widespread protests by its citizens. In 2015, the Center conducted a trial run in Pithampur TSDF, but further plans had to be postponed after protests from residents. Then no action was taken for seven years without the consent of the Center and the State.
What is the plan for disposal of toxic waste?
This project is expected to be implemented in 180 days. In the first 20 days, the waste will be transported in packed drums from the contaminated site to the disposal site. Later, this waste is transferred from storage to a mixing shed, where it is mixed with reagents and then packed into small bags weighing 3 to 9 kg. The actual incineration will take place only on the 76th day when all reports related to incineration will be sent to multiple departments for heir approval before the actual disposal begins, to ensure that the air quality does not deteriorate and incineration is carried out as per standard operating procedures. .
Swatantra Kumar Singh, director of the state’s Gas Relief and Rehabilitation Department, said, “The waste of Bhopal gas tragedy is a stigma which is going to fade away after 40 years. We will safely send it to Pithampur and destroy it. This chemical waste will be shifted from Bhopal to Pithampur. About 250 kilometers long ‘Green Corridor’ will be built to send the waste to its destination in the shortest possible time. Is.”
Although no date has been given for starting the process of sending this waste to Pithampur for destruction, sources say that in view of the instructions of the High Court, this process can start soon.
Waste disposal will go through several processes
Director of Gas Relief and Rehabilitation Department said that initially some part of the waste will be incinerated in the waste disposal unit of Pithampur and its solid residue (ash) will be scientifically examined to find out if there is any harmful element left in it. is no more. If everything is found fine in the investigation, then the waste will be incinerated within three months. Otherwise the speed of burning will be slowed down, due to which it may take up to nine months to be destroyed.
Swatantra Kumar Singh told that the smoke coming out of burning of waste in the incinerator will be passed through a special filter with four levels, so that the surrounding air is not polluted and a record of this process will be kept every moment. After the waste is incinerated and free from harmful elements, its solid residue (ash) will be covered with a strong two-layer membrane and buried in the ‘landfill site’, so that this waste does not come in contact with soil and water in any way. I couldn’t come. He said that the waste will be destroyed safely by a team of experts under the supervision of the State Government, Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Board and its detailed report will be presented in the High Court.
A section of local people and environmental activists claim that 10 tonnes of waste from ‘Union Carbide’ was destroyed on a trial basis at Pithampur’s waste disposal unit in 2015, which has affected the soil, groundwater and surface water of nearby villages. The sources have become polluted.
Singh, director of the Gas Relief and Rehabilitation Department, termed this claim as false and said, “Only after examining the 2015 test report and all the objections, 337 tonnes of waste from the ‘Union Carbide’ factory was destroyed at the waste disposal unit of Pithampur. It has been decided to do so. This unit has all the arrangements in place to dispose of the waste safely and there is nothing to worry about.”
People of Pithampur worried about disposal of chemical waste
However, the concerns of the common people regarding Union Carbide’s plan to burn toxic waste in Pithampur, which has a population of about 1.75 lakh, have not gone away yet. Amid reports of this waste soon reaching the waste disposal unit of Pithampur, a large number of people gathered on Sunday, tied black bands on their hands and took out a rally to protest.
People participating in the rally were holding placards with slogans like ‘We will not let Pithampur become Bhopal’ and ‘Save Pithampur, remove poisonous waste’. The protesters said, “We want the climate of Pithampur to be re-examined by scientists before the waste of the Union Carbide factory is destroyed. We will try our best to present our case in the court also.”
1,250 small and big units in Pithampur industrial area
There are 1,250 small and big units in the Pithampur industrial area of Dhar district neighboring Indore. Gautam Kothari, president of the Pithampur Industrial Association, said, “We are satisfied with the arrangements made for burning the waste from the Union Carbide factory at the industrial waste disposal unit in Pithampur. The disposal of this waste should not be made a bogey on the basis of mere apprehensions.” And the local people should not be afraid.” However, he said that if any accident occurs in Pithampur during the destruction of this waste, his organization will protest.
