Toxic waste that had been lying at Bhopal’s Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) premises for the last 40 years was finally shifted to the Pathampur dumping site in Dhar district, approximately 30 km from Indore. This move marks a significant milestone in the aftermath of the Bhopal gas tragedy, one of the world’s worst industrial disasters.
The convoy of 12 container trucks, carrying around 337 metric tonnes of chemical waste, moved from Bhopal to Pithampur under tight security arrangements by the administration and police. A green corridor was set up to cover the 250 km distance between the UCIL and Pithampur, ensuring a smooth and secure transition of the hazardous waste.
The Bhopal gas tragedy occurred on the night of December 2-3, 1984, when highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal. The disaster claimed the lives of at least 5,479 people and left thousands with serious and long-lasting health issues.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court had set a four-week deadline on December 3 to shift the toxic waste. The court observed that even 40 years after the gas tragedy, the authorities were in a state of inertia, and warned the government of contempt proceedings if its directive was not followed.
Over a hundred people worked in 30-minute shifts since Sunday to pack the waste. They underwent health check-ups and were given rest every 30 minutes. The 12 specialized containers that carried the toxic waste were designed according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) standards. Each container was leak-proof, fire-resistant, and equipped with GPS tracking for real-time monitoring.
The Pithampur plant is specifically designed for the safe incineration of waste generated by industrial units across the state. In 2015, a trial run for disposing of 10 metric tonnes of waste of UCIL was conducted under CPCB supervision, adhering to all prescribed safety parameters.
Swatantra Kumar Singh, Director of Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department, stated that the state-of-the-art treatment, storage, and disposal facility (TSDF) at Pithampur has been safely incinerating waste from various organizations since 2006, similar to the storage and operational processes at UCIL. Singh highlighted that after the 2015 trial run of UCIL waste disposal, emission levels were found to comply with the prescribed national standards. He said the finding also revealed that over the past 10 years in the Pithampur circle village, the cultivation area for soybean and wheat crops has increased. The results indicated that no harmful elements were detected in the air or water following the disposal process. The remaining residues from incineration were securely disposed of using a double composite liner system to ensure environmental safety, he added.
The decision to dispose of the waste from the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy was taken after workers of other factories in the industrial estate near Indore voiced concern about their safety. The smoke from the incinerator will pass through special four-layer filters so that the surrounding air is not polluted. 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.