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On the 41st anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, Pithampur residents have voiced strong opposition to the state government's plan to dispose of 900 tons of ash from incinerated Union Carbide waste at a local plant. Despite assurances from authorities about safe storage and emissions within permissible limits, locals fear environmental contamination and health risks. The Madhya Pradesh High Court has rejected the landfill proposal and asked the government to identify alternative sites. Residents and activists are urging relocation to a safer location to prevent harm.
On the 41st anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, residents of Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh raised concerns over the planned disposal of 900 tons of ash generated from the incineration of toxic waste from the defunct Union Carbide factory. The ash is currently 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 Bhopal, were incinerated using a scientific process. Advertisement
The state government intends to dispose of the ash in a specially designed multi-layered landfill cell at the same facility, despite the Madhya Pradesh High Court previously ruling that such a move cannot be permitted due to safety concerns. When the incineration plan was first proposed, local residents had strongly opposed it, fearing environmental contamination and potential health hazards.
People in the area now worry that any leakage from the landfill cell could seriously impact the local population and ecosystem. They are demanding that the ash be relocated to a safer site. The disposal plant is situated near Tarpura village in the Pithampur industrial area. Prakash Sarkate, who has lived in the village of around 20,000 people for nearly three decades, said his home is just 500 meters from the plant. He called on authorities to address public concerns and relocate the waste ash.
Nirmala Panwar, another resident, highlighted recurring health issues in the village, including colds, fevers, and eye irritation, adding that villagers avoid drinking nearby water sources because the water appears dirty and irritates the throat.
State Pollution Control Board officials, however, stated that emissions of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen fluoride, nitrogen oxides, and heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium were within permissible limits during incineration. They also mentioned that no adverse health effects were observed among plant workers or nearby residents.
The disposal matter remains under the Madhya Pradesh High Court's supervision. The court's principal bench at Jabalpur recently rejected a proposal to dump the ash at the plant due to its proximity to human habitation. Investigations revealed mercury levels in the ash above permissible limits. The court has directed the state government to propose alternative disposal sites. Government officials have not clarified how they will respond to this directive.
Social activist Anil Dwivedi emphasized that the waste should be moved to a location that poses no risk to human health or the environment, rather than being buried at the Pithampur plant. The incident serves as a grim reminder of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy on the night of December 2-3, 1984, when a methyl isocyanate gas leak from the Union Carbide factory killed at least 5,479 people and injured thousands more, marking one of the worst industrial disasters in history.
Source PTI
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