Bhopal gas tragedy: Incineration of Union Carbide waste finally concludes

Indore, Jul 3 (PTI) Incineration of entire 358 tonnes of toxic waste from the defunct Union Carbide factory finally concluded as contaminated soil and packaging material were burnt at a disposal plant in Madhya Pradesh's Pithampur on Thursday, over six months after the consignment was brought to the unit.

Nineteen tonnes of the soil containing residual toxic waste from the defunct factory and 2.22 tonnes of packaging material used in its transportation were incinerated at the plant during the day, an official said.

Now, steps are being taken for the scientific disposal of the waste ash, he said.

Earlier, 337 tonnes of the waste from the factory premises had been incinerated in multiple phases at the same facility, located 30 km from here.

At least 5,479 people were killed and thousands were maimed after the highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide's pesticide factory in Bhopal on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, making it one of the biggest industrial disasters in the world.

With this development, the entire stock of 358 tonnes of toxic waste has now been successfully destroyed as per the directives of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, officials said.

Talking to PTI, Srinivas Dwivedi, regional officer of the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB), said the latest (and the last) batch included about 19 tonnes of waste-laden soil and 2.22 tonnes of packaging material.

"With this, the entire process of incineration of the Union Carbide waste has been completed. It was carried out at a private waste disposal plant in Pithampur. The entire 358 tonnes of waste from the Union Carbide site has now been reduced to ashes," he said.

Authorities had earlier destroyed 337 tonnes of the core toxic waste in multiple phases.

Dwivedi said this incinerated waste was like a "stigma" for the state and the country.

"Its successful and safe disposal has addressed widespread public concerns and is a matter of pride for Madhya Pradesh," he said.

Emission levels during the incineration remained within the prescribed limits and no adverse health impact was reported among workers or residents in the surrounding areas, he said.

However, the final process of the scientific disposal of the waste ash is pending, Dwivedi said.

The incineration generated more than 800 tonnes of ash and residue, which have been securely packed and stored in a leak-proof shed at the Pithampur facility, the official said.

A dedicated landfill cell is now being built to bury this ash following the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines, he said.

"The landfill is being constructed about 1.5 metres above the ground level with multiple protective layers to prevent leaching into the soil and groundwater," Dwivedi added.

The toxic waste was transported to Pithampur, around 250 km from Bhopal, on January 2, amid protests by local residents. Demonstrators expressed fears of environmental and public health hazards, which were dismissed by the state government.

Initially, 30 tonnes of waste was burnt at the plant during three trials.

After this, citing the analysis report, the state government told the high court that during the trials conducted at the rates of 135 kg per hour, 180 kg per hour and 270 kg per hour, the emissions were found to be within the prescribed limits.

The MPPCB maintained that emissions from the incineration process, including particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, hydrogen fluoride, nitrogen oxides, mercury, cadmium, and other heavy metals remained within permissible limits during the operations.

According to the pollution board, the Union Carbide waste comprised contaminated soil, reactor residues, remnants of the pesticide Sevin, naphthol, and other semi-processed substances. The board stated that scientific evidence indicated negligible traces of Sevin and naphthol remained in the waste, and confirmed the absence of methyl isocyanate and radioactive elements. PTI HWP LAL NP