As the Madhya Pradesh government is all set to dispose of chemical and toxic waste of defunct Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) from Bhopal, it said on Tuesday that Pithampur is the only suitable dumping site of hazardous waste in the state.
The State Gas Relief and Rehabilitation Department said that the Pithampur dumping site in Dhar district, which has been established in compliance with the guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), ensures the secure disposal of hazardous materials.
“Pithampur’s plant is specifically designed for the safe incineration of waste generated by industrial units across the state. In 2015, a trial run for disposing of 10 metric tonnes of waste of UCIL was conducted under CPCB supervision, adhering to all prescribed safety parameters,” said Director of Gas Relief and Rehabilitation Department, Swatantra Kumar Singh.
He added that the state-of-the-art treatment, storage and disposal facility (TSDF) at Pithampur has been safely incinerating waste from various organisations since 2006, similar to the storage and operational processes at UCIL.
Singh highlighted that after the 2015 trial run of UCIL waste disposal, emission levels were found to comply with the prescribed national standards.
He said the finding also revealed that over the past 10 years in the Pithampur Circle village, the cultivation area for soybean and wheat crops has increased.
“The results indicated that no harmful elements were detected in the air or water following the disposal process. The remaining residues from incineration were securely disposed of using a double composite liner system to ensure environmental safety,” he added.
Singh said that 337 metric tonnes of chemical waste from UCIL (whose leakage resulted in the Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984) is being done under the supervision of an oversight committee established by the Centre in July 2010 to manage the disposal of UCIL waste.
He noted that the waste is being packed, and loaded in 12 specialised containers designed according to CPCB standards.
Each container is leak-proof, fire-resistant, and equipped with GPS tracking for real-time monitoring, he said.
“Two trained drivers have been assigned per container to ensure safe transportation. The convoy will include police security, an ambulance, a fire brigade, and a quick response team to address any emergencies. The waste will be transported through a dedicated green corridor from Bhopal to Pithampur TSDF with operations set to commence soon,” Singh added.
The waste has been lying at the UCIL premises since the Bhopal gas tragedy on the intervening night of December 2 and 3 in 1984 when a highly toxic gas, methyl isocyanate, leaked from the factory killing 5,479 people, as per the government estimates.
The government data also shows that the tragedy resulted in several disabilities and had serious health implications for more than five lakh people over the years.
