Disposal of toxic waste of the 1984 Bhopal Gas tragedy has started: 12 container trucks moved the poisonous material to Pithampur industrial area of Dhar district, 250 KMs away from Bhopal. The operation started at 9 PM, late at night, all securing measure were put in place with a green corridor arranged for the trucks movement without any halt.
Waste Disposal Process
The Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department director, Swatantra Kumar Singh, said that incineration of the waste could take three to nine months. Pithampur enforcement of the process involves burning of the waste at disposal unit and then test the ash to ensure that any toxic substances are not present. Soot will be emitted through a 4 step filter to avoid polluting the air. After declaring the ash as safe to the community, it will be covered by a two-layer membrane before being hidden far from the reach of the soil and water. Employees or directors from central and state pollution control boards will manage its functioning.
Community Problems and Compliments
The members of activist groups in Pithampur have raised concerns over pollution focusing on a trial that took place in 2015 in which, burns from incineration allegedly polluted four villages around it. Public do complain against it especially residents of Pithampur, but Singh confident with his explanation that proper assessment has been made to guarantee safety.
Bhopal Gas Tragedy: A Grim Reminder
The Bhopal gas tragedy which occurred in December 1984, due to leakage of Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) from Union Carbide plant resulted into death of 5,479 people and more than 5,00,000 people have been physically affected and suffered long-term health effects. Even though the Supreme Court has urged waste removal, it has been a slow process by any standards. The Madhya Pradesh High Court recently issued an order to evacuate the site summarily and in the worst case in four weeks failing which the authorities would be faced with contempt proceeding.
This operation is a significant measure towards mitigating the environmental and health consequences of one of the world’s worst industrial disasters.
