Union Carbide waste disposal: Fresh agitation in Pithampur ahead?

A local organisation opposing the disposal of the Union Carbide waste in Madhya Pradesh's Pithampur on 7 January, Tuesday, said it would move the Supreme Court or launch a fresh agitation if the state government went ahead with its plan.

Pithampur, a large industrial hub in the Dhar district, witnessed violent protests last week after 337 tonnes of hazardous waste from the defunct factory in Bhopal was brought to Ramky Enviro unit for incineration.

Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday, 6 January, directed the state government to take steps for the disposal of the waste while following all safety protocols within 6 weeks.

Hemant Hirole, convener of the Pithampur Bachao Samiti, which is leading the protests, on Tuesday claimed the high court's order was in line with the sentiments of the local people, who do not want the toxic waste to be incinerated in the vicinity of the town.

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 had been lying around at the defunct pesticide factory of Union Carbide in Bhopal for 40 years since the December 1984 gas leak tragedy.

On the intervening night of 2–3 December 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.

Hirole said the local people want that the waste be transported somewhere else by creating a green corridor for its safe and speedy movement, similar to the corridor created when it was brought to Pithampur, 220 km from Bhopal.

"If the government still acts arbitrarily, then we will knock on the doors of the Supreme Court and appeal for justice, or again take to the streets with full force, starting a mass movement," he told reporters.

They will organise a bigger protest than that seen on 3 January but not allow the waste to be incinerated near the city, he added.

On Monday, a division bench of chief justice S.K. Kait and justice Vivek Jain said the High Court's 3 December 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.