MP govt official assures safe disposal of Union Carbide waste, says will be present at site

Indore, Jan 21 (PTI) A senior Madhya Pradesh government official on Tuesday assured robust arrangements for safe disposal of 337 tonnes of waste from Bhopal's Union Carbide factory at a unit in Pithampur town and said he will himself be present when the incineration process commences.

The waste disposal at Pithampur, an industrial town in adjoining Dhar district, faced hurdles after protests erupted early this month when container trucks carrying the hazardous material from Bhopal reached a facility, around 250km from the state capital, for incineration.

Divisional commissioner (revenue) of Indore division Deepak Singh told reporters in Indore that he was confident Union Carbide's waste would be disposed of in a completely safe manner at the site, located around 50km from the Dhar district headquarters.

"The day the work of disposal of this waste starts, I will sit in the camp (temporary) office built in this unit so that common people can be assured of the safety of this process," maintained the senior bureaucrat.

On the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal, killing at least 5,479 persons and leaving thousands with serious health problems and long-term disabilities.

As the state government plan to dispose of the hazardous waste at Pithampur came to public knowledge, local residents hit the streets claiming the exercise would pose health risks to people and also adversely affect the environment.

However, the administration has sought to allay their fears and insisted the waste incineration process poses no risks to human health.

The situation in the industrial town located near Indore is currently peaceful.

On January 6, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the state government to take steps within six weeks to dispose of the Union Carbide factory waste by following safety protocols.

Earlier, during a "Jan Samvad" programme organized in Indore to create awareness on the sensitive issue, government officials interacted with the medical community regarding the waste disposal plan and answered their questions.

During the programme, Dhar district collector Priyank Mishra dismissed as baseless fears that Union Carbide's waste disposal at Pithampur could increase the risk of cancer in residents of the industrial town as well as Indore.

"We are clearing misconceptions in the minds of people by holding meetings with members from the industry, academia and other fields regarding the plan to dispose of Union Carbide waste at Pithampur," he said. PTI HWP ADU RSY

Source: PTI