Bhopal, Jan 8 (PTI) The organisations opposing disposal of the Union Carbide waste in Madhya Pradesh's Pithampur, on Wednesday decided to expand their protest outside the town, stating that its incineration will leave an adverse impact on the ecology and residents.
A protest will be held on Thursday at the office of Divisional Commissioner in Indore, some 30 km from Pithampur town in Dhar district, an office-bearer of the organisation that is at the forefront of the stir, said.
The district administration, on the other hand, has been holding meetings to raise awareness about the Union Carbide waste disposal.
Talking to PTI on Wednesday, Pithampur Bachao Samiti's convenor Hemant Hirole said, "We will hold a protest at the divisional commissioner office in Indore on Thursday. We will demand that the toxic waste of Bhopal's defunct Union Carbide factory should be sent to some other place. It should not be incinerated in Pithampur at any cost." Various organisations, including trade unions and social outfits, will participate in the Indore protest, he said.
"We will form human chains in Mhow, Rau, Indore and adjoining areas. We will also move the apex court, the high court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) with facts about the ill-effects of the incineration and how it could harm the area," Hirole said.
There are institutes of national importance located nearby, including Army centre in Mhow and Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT) in Indore, and the area should not be harmed by carrying out the incineration of the hazardous waste, he added.
According to him, the state government is going ahead with the disposal plan as it is equipped with the order of the court that didn't stop the incineration.
The state government wants to carry out incineration by creating pressure on the locals, he alleged.
Hirole said that former Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan had opposed the incineration of Union carbide's waste in 2010, he claimed.
"We want that toxic waste should not be incinerated in Pithampur. If the government wants, it can impose five per cent additional tax on us, but we want that the Union Carbide waste should be disposed of at a place where it does not cause any harm to insects, animals, humans or the environment," he said.
Meanwhile, the district administration has been holding meetings with various organisations to create awareness about the disposal of the Union Carbide's toxic waste in Pithampur.
District collector Priyank Mishra on Tuesday held a meeting with the representatives of industrial organisations -- Laghu Udyog Bharati, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), MP Industrial Development Centre in Pithampur -- and apprised them of the court's order regarding the disposal of Union Carbide's waste, an official release said.
Mishra said that all the proceedings related to the proposed disposal were being done with scientific method under the supervision of the court.
All the information in this regard is available on the Pollution Control Board's website and all the representatives should see it, he said.
The district administration also provided a questionnaire with answers of all doubtful questions to these organisations so that they can also explain it properly to their workforce, the release said.
The collector also urged the industries to refute the news reports about the migration of labourers.
The release said that the district administration has already issued prohibitory orders to stop the circulation of the misleading information on social media about the waste disposal.
Pithampur, a large industrial hub in Dhar district, witnessed violent protests on January 3 after 337 tonnes of hazardous waste from the defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal was brought to Ramky Enviro unit for incineration.
The waste, packed in 12 sealed containers, was shifted on January 2 from the now defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal to the disposal site at Pithampur in Dhar district, located 250 km from the state capital.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday directed the state government to take steps within six weeks for the disposal of the waste by following safety protocols.
Notably, the high court did not give any direction as to whether the government should opt for a different site to dispose of the waste which was lying around at the defunct pesticide factory of Union Carbide in Bhopal for 40 years after the December 1984 gas leak tragedy.
On Monday, a division bench of Chief Justice S K Kait and Justice Vivek Jain said the HC's December 3, 2024, order directing that all the waste material be taken away from the Bhopal plant for disposal was sufficient, and does not require any further directive.
After the HC decision on Monday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav suggested that the people of Pithampur should approach a court to put forth their side on the issue of the disposal of Union Carbide waste.
On the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal, killing at least 5,479 persons and leaving thousands with serious injuries and long-lasting health issues. PTI ADU NP
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