Petition in NGT Calls for Safe Disposal of Union Carbide Waste

The Plan to Dump 337 Tonnes of Waste Linked to Bhopal Tragedy Has Sparked Off Protests in MP's Pithampur

- Press Trust of India

BHOPAL/JABALPUR: A petition has been filed in the National Green Tribunal's Bhopal bench, seeking an assurance from the Madhya Pradesh government that the Union Carbide waste disposal in Pithampur won't harm people in nearby areas.

The petition, filed by a Jabalpur-based social organisation, has urged the NGT to direct the state's chief secretary to declare on oath about the safety of people in Pithampur in Dhar district where the waste has been transported for disposal.

On the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal, killing at least 5,479 persons and leaving thousands with serious injuries and long-lasting health issues.

Nearly 337 tonnes of Union Carbide waste reached Pithampur from Bhopal on Thursday for disposal following an order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

The petition before the NGT seeks direction to the authorities in Dhar to submit on oath that residents in the area would not be harmed due to the disposal of the waste.