Bhopal: Following protests in Dhar, a town in Madhya Pradesh’s Pithampur district, over plans to incinerate 337 metric tonnes of toxic waste from the Bhopal-based Union Carbide pesticide factory, the state government has decided to approach the Madhya Pradesh High Court to request additional time for the process.
The decision comes after a protest Friday, during which two men—identified as Rajkumar Raghuvanshi and Raj Patel—self-immolated in opposition to the planned incineration of the toxic waste. The protest was sparked by a bandh called against the waste disposal in Pithampur, an industrial area about 26 km from Indore. Demonstrators marched toward the site of the incineration facility, but the police intervened to prevent them from blocking main roads. Despite the efforts to control the situation, the two protestors set themselves on fire and were quickly rushed to a private hospital in Indore, where they are now reported to be in stable condition.
After the incident, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav convened an emergency meeting and announced that the government would seek further directives from the High Court. In a statement to reporters late on Friday night, he emphasised that the public’s interests are the government’s top priority and that they are fully adhering to the orders of the Supreme Court and MP High Court.
On Wednesday night, under heavy police security and with a green corridor established for its transportation, 12 trucks carried 337 tonnes of toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory. The trucks arrived at Dhar’s Pithampur around 4.30 am Thursday. The waste was to be incinerated at the designated disposal facility, following strict protocols, with the ashes of the final toxic compound to be securely locked in a capsule to prevent any leaks.
Emphasising that the waste was being carried as per the protocol laid down by the courts and to the site selected by the courts, Yadav said, “The waste should have reached the waste disposal site by 4 January as the High Court wants a report on the action taken by 6 January. But it has been brought to our notice that first efforts need to be taken to reassure the people that the process of waste disposal will not cause any damage to the environment or life around. We will put this issue before the High Court and follow whatever orders we are given. But we will not proceed until we receive directives from the High Court.”
Following this, Chief Secretary Anurag Jain, briefing the media, explained that the government will seek more time from the High Court to carry through the directive of waste disposal and in the meantime will work to win the support of the protesting locals.
“Our senior officers of the government will meet the people and present every fact on the matter, including the assessment reports and the pollution level after incineration of the waste. We do not want to do anything against the will of the people,” Jain said.
Speaking to reporters, a senior official from the MP government said that the decision was made after it was revealed that several senior party leaders held differing views on the disposal of the waste.
“When we informed political leaders that the disposal would not result in any toxicity, as per the findings of the report, they were skeptical. We had to present the reports to substantiate our claims. This experience made us realise the extent of confidence-building and outreach required to communicate the facts to the public,” the official added.
Senior BJP leader Sumitra Mahajan had advised the government to consult with experts and scientists regarding the disposal of the toxic waste. Speaking to the media on January 2, she had said, “The disposal of this waste is not a political issue at all. The discussion should touch upon whether there will be any adverse effect on the environment, land and water sources after the waste is destroyed in Pithampur. The people of Bhopal have been suffering due to the ill effects of the gas tragedy for generations. So, this waste should be disposed of with full caution.”
This came after Congress State President Jitu Patwari had approached Sumitra Mahajan and met her at her residence requesting her support in stopping the incineration. Patwari claimed that it would increase the risk of cancer among locals.
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The disposal process
Following the tragic methyl isocyanate gas leak from the Union Carbide pesticide factory on the night of 2-3 December, 1984, which claimed at least 5,476 lives, the site remained under the custody of the CBI until 1998. Once it was handed over to the MP government, a decision was made to build a memorial. It was during this process that the issue of disposing of the toxic waste left behind by the factory arose.
In 1998, after the formation of rules for handling and managing hazardous waste, these regulations mandated the creation of a site for waste disposal. This led to the establishment of a facility in Dhar. In 2004, an NGO approached the MP High Court, which ordered the disposal of the waste, following guidelines set by a high-powered expert committee. However, when these orders were not followed, the court summoned the secretary from the Government of India. The matter was then escalated to the Supreme Court, which reaffirmed the order for disposal and secured funding from the central government for the state to carry out the process.
Based on the state’s suggestion, a similar type of hazardous waste was first brought from Hindustan Pesticide Company in Kochi as a preliminary test and disposed of in Dhar. The pollution levels from this disposal were found to be well below permissible limits. In 2014, another test was conducted, where 10 tonnes of hazardous waste from Union Carbide was brought to Dhar and disposed of. Pollution levels were measured again and found to be similar to those of the Kochi sample. Following this, the Supreme Court ordered the disposal of the remaining waste.
The matter was dismissed by the Supreme Court. However, as the state once again failed to comply, the MP High Court intervened on 3 December, 2024, ordering the disposal of the waste within 4 weeks and requiring a report to be submitted by 6 January.
However, following protests in Dhar, where locals near the incineration site have accused the government of downplaying its impact on the community, the state government now plans to engage with residents.
Chief Secretary Anurag Jain explained that none of the reports following the disposal tests found any negative impact on the air or water quality in the region. However, in response to reports suggesting otherwise, the state government organized health camps. Jain noted that the prevalence of skin diseases among locals was about 1.7 percent, which is well below the national average. Additionally, no adverse effects on agriculture were observed, “contrary to claims made in some media reports”. He assured that the government would do its utmost to engage with the community.