40 Years After Bhopal Gas Tragedy, Toxic Waste Shifted From Union Carbide Factory For Disposal

On 3 December, the Madhya Pradesh High Court set a four-week deadline for the authorities to dispose of the toxic waste.

Bhopal: Forty years after the Bhopal gas tragedy that killed more than 5000 people, hazardous waste from the Union Carbide Factory was shifted for disposal Wednesday night, officials said. 337 metric tonnes of the toxic waste was shifted in 12 sealed container trucks to a unit in the Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district, 250 km away from Bhopal through a green corridor.

"Amid tight security, the vehicles reached around 4.30 am on Thursday at a factory in Pithampur where the waste will be disposed of," said Dhar Superintendent of Police Manoj Singh. The trucks were currently parked on the factory campus in Pithampur, he added.

The move comes after the Madhya Pradesh High Court on December 3 rebuked authorities for not clearing the Union Carbide site in Bhopal despite directions from even the Supreme Court and set a four-week deadline to shift the waste, observing that even 40 years after the gas tragedy, authorities were in a "state of inertia".

The state government has been asked to submit a report to the High Court on January 3. The high court bench had warned the government of contempt proceedings if its directive was not followed.

Highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, killing at least 5,479 people and leaving thousands with serious and long-lasting health issues. It is considered to be among the worst industrial disasters in the world.

Five types of waste separately packed

The waste lying at the factory for forty years was filled in jumbo bags and loaded in 12 containers before taking to Pithampur for disposal. According to officials, five types of waste were packed separately. The residue from the reactor in the factory included sewage residue, naphthol residue and chemicals left over from processing during the process of making pesticides. Along with this, the soil of the premises was also collected, along with the scattered garbage.

Toxic waste from Bhopal's Union Carbide Factory is being taken away in containers to Pithampur, to be discarded. (ANI)

"12 container trucks carrying the waste set off on a non-stop journey around 9 pm. A green corridor has been created for the vehicles which are expected to reach the Pithampur industrial area in the Dhar district in seven hours," said Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department Director Swatantra Kumar Singh.

He said around 100 people have worked 30-minute shifts since Sunday to pack and load the waste in trucks. "They underwent health check-ups and were given rest every 30 minutes," he added.

100 policemen along with 400 officers and employees from district administration, municipal corporation, health department and pollution control board were deployed for the process. The government will have to spend Rs 126 crore for the complete disposal of waste.

After delivering the garbage to Pithampura, it has to be burnt within 9 months.

Trial Burning Done In 2015

According to Swatantra Kumar Singh, out of the 347 metric tons of toxic waste in Union Carbide premises, 10 metric tons were burnt as a trial in 2015. During and after the trial run, the emission standards were found to be in accordance with the prescribed national standards. He added that the waste will be disposed of with a two-layer composite liner system.

Voices Of Concern in Pitampur

"If everything is found to be fine, the waste will be incinerated within three months. Otherwise, it might take up to nine months," Singh said.

Initially, some of the waste will be burnt at the waste disposal unit in Pithampur and the residue (ash) will be examined to find whether any harmful elements are left, Singh said.

The smoke from the incinerator will pass through special four-layer filters so that the surrounding air is not polluted, he added. Once it is confirmed that no traces of toxic elements are left, the ash will be covered by a two-layer membrane and buried to ensure it does not come in contact with soil and water in any way.

A team of experts under the supervision of officials of the Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Board will carry out the process, Singh added.

Some local activists have claimed that 10 tons of Union Carbide waste was incinerated on a trial basis in Pithampur in 2015, after which the soil, underground water and water sources in surrounding villages became polluted.

But Singh rejected the claim, stating that the decision to dispose of the waste at Pithampur was taken only after the report of the 2015 test and all the objections were examined. There would be no reason to worry, he said.

A large number of people had on Sunday taken out a protest march in Pithampur to oppose the disposal of Union Carbide waste in the city which has a population of about 1.75 lakh. (With agency inputs)