Incineration of bhopal waste will not cause harm m p cm

Incineration of bhopal waste will not cause harm m p cm

Mohan Yadav says scientific methods will be employed in Pithampur during the disposal of 337 tonnes of waste from the Union Carbide factory; he accuses Congress of politicising the issue.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday said that disposal of the toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal will not have a negative impact on the environment in Pithampur, where it is to be incinerated.

Chemical waste weighing 337 tonnes from the factory premises, where the Bhopal gas tragedy of December 1984 unfolded, was transported to Pithampur, an industrial town 35 km from Indore, for disposal at an incineration facility. However, residents and activists have long protested against shifting the waste, raising apprehensions of contamination of soil and waterbodies.

Mr. Yadav said the waste was being disposed of in Pithampur as per the directions of the courts and that it will be incinerated using scientific methods after consultations with various departments and research institutes.

“The waste contains 60% soil and 40% naphthalene and other chemical waste. Naphthalene is a co-product from manufacture of pesticides, and according to scientists, its impact vanishes in 25 years. As 40 years have passed since the incident, the apprehensions being raised regarding the disposal of the waste vanish too,” he said addressing a press conference.

Mr. Yadav said that the Minister in-charge of Dhar district Kailash Vijayvargiya will talk to all the local public representatives, apprise them of the process, and take them into confidence. “For the last 40 years, the people of Bhopal have been living with this waste. In 2015, 10 MT of waste was incinerated in Pithampur as a trial run in 2015 and a report prepared in the presence of scientists was presented before the Supreme Court. The report revealed that the disposal of hazardous waste has no impact on the environment. After detailed analysis of the reports, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the incineration of the remaining hazardous waste,” he added. The Chief Minister also said that in the near future, the government will work to dispose of the remaining waste lying in the Union Carbide premises.

Mr. Yadav accused the Congress of doing politics over the issue.

On Wednesday night, 12 trucks carrying the waste in spill-free containers, left the defunct Union Carbide factory premises in Bhopal amid heavy security. The trucks reached Pithampur around 4 a.m. on Thursday.