Women hold candles during a December 2019 vigil to mark the 35th anniversary of the Bhopal gas disaster. © Reuters
NEW DELHI — Violent demonstrations and two attempted self-immolations last week in the industrial town of Pithampur in protest of the transferring of toxic waste from Bhopal 250 kilometers away have led an Indian high court to halt local authorities’ plans.
A gas leak from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal 40 years ago killed over 5,400 people in the world’s largest industrial accident. Last month, Indian authorities ordered the removal of the residual toxic waste from Bhopal for disposal in Pithampur, where it has been put in storage at an incinerator facility.
On Monday, the Madhya Pradesh High Court granted authorities six more weeks to ensure safe disposal of the waste.
“We need to be scientifically assured that the disposed waste will not flow into the Gambhir River and ultimately to the Yashwant Sagar Dam in the coming years,” said Pradip Sinha, a member of Pithampur Bachao Samiti, a local organization formed to resist the waste disposal plans.
Over 5 million people, including Pithampur’s population of 183,000 and neighboring Indore’s 3.4 million, could be affected if the waste contaminates the river.
Sinha said the disposal should take place only after detailed discussions with all stakeholders, scientists and residents.
“We don’t see any transparency on the government’s part to take us on board even though our lives are at stake,” he said.
The events of Dec. 2, 1984, remain fresh in Indians’ minds. That night, 27 tonnes of noxious methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal, killing at least 5,479 people and leaving thousands with serious injuries and long-lasting health issues.
Up to 25,000 are estimated to have died from that leak over time, with over 2 million affected.
On Jan. 2, 12 specially designed containers carrying 358 tonnes of toxic waste were escorted by police and emergency vehicles through a designated 250-km Green Corridor to Pithampur to be incinerated at the Ramky Enviro company.
But local protests intensified once the waste reached Pithampur, forcing police to close shops and businesses in case violence erupted.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav blamed the unrest on “media misinformation.”
Protests also rocked adjoining Indore, whose residents fear the incineration also may ruin their ecology and harm public health. They expressed concerns that no transparent disposal plan was shared with them.
“Send the toxic waste generated from the American company for disposal to America, we won’t allow it in Pithampur,” read a protester’s sign.
Rushing the process of burning the waste could result in leaks into Yashwant Sagar Dam, which is a crucial water source for Indore, Sinha said.
Kamla Sharma, a Pithampur-based teacher and protester who lost uncles and aunts in the Bhopal gas tragedy, told Nikkei Asia by phone that it was difficult to believe the government when no preparations are visible on the ground to tackle any emergency resulting from waste disposal.
“No medical camps or hospital vans are on standby should there be any toxic waste-related incident,” she said. “The specter of the Bhopal gas tragedy still haunts us. We refuse to take any more chances now.”
A 2010 study commissioned by the government found that the Union Carbide factory premises held 1.1 million tonnes of contaminated soil, one tonne of mercury and nearly 150 tonnes of contaminated materials in underground dumps.
“The entire disposal episode reeks of a political farce,” said Champa Devi, a member of Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, a nonprofit organization run by survivors of the Bhopal tragedy. “The undertaking is shrouded in mystery with no stakeholders taken on board, especially the inhabitants of Pithampur and Indore.”
Lawyers say the court should insist on a scientific testing of the waste to determine its toxicity and its ramifications on local population, if any.
“Publishing the test results and putting it out in public domain before disposal will ensure transparency and quell public anxiety about the waste’s toxicity levels,” said Naman Nagrath, a lawyer for a Bhopal survivor who has since died. “It will go a long way in restoring public faith in the authorities.”
source : asia.nikkei