The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday asked the state government to go for a trial disposal of 340 tonnes of Union Carbide toxic waste at Pithampura.
A division bench of the High Court of Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Vivek Jain asked the state government to comply with the orders and file a report by March 27.
This hazardous waste is currently kept at a private facility in the Tarpura village of Pithampur Industrial area, near Indore.
Earlier, it was lying in the closed entity of Union Carbide India Pvt Ltd in Bhopal for the past 40 years when the tragedy took place on the intervening night of December 2-3,1984.
The world’s worst-ever industrial disaster had claimed hundreds of lives and left thousands critically injured.
The trial run, according to government sources, will involve disposing of a portion of this toxic waste at varied feed rates, such as 90 kg/hour, 135 kg/hour, 180 kg/hour, or 270 kg/hour, in compliance with the Central Pollution Control Board’s conditions. Each trial run will take three to four days, said the sources.
The state government, according to the court order, needs to assess the potential environmental and local impacts of this waste during the trial.
According to the court order issued on December 3, 2024, the state government informed the court that on the night of January 1, 2025, the waste was securely loaded into 12 fireproof and leakproof containers.
These containers were transported using long-haul trailers, escorted by the police and supported by a dedicated team of doctors, fire brigade personnel, and skilled labourers.
The convoy was provided with a green corridor, ensuring the transportation adhered to the approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and tender requirements, fully compliant with Central Pollution Control Board guidelines. But public unrest spurred by certain “fictitious” media reports.
The court on January 6 ordered the government to comply with its December 3, 2024 order and directed the state government to “dispose of the same (toxic waste) as per norms”.
