The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday has given the state government 6 weeks to address the disposal of Union Carbide factory waste according to safety guidelines. The court also directed the media to refrain from spreading incorrect information about the issue.
The waste, stored in 12 sealed containers, was moved on January 2 from the now-defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal to a disposal site in Pithampur, Dhar district, about 250 kilometers away.
During a hearing, the court, led by Chief Justice SK Kait and Justice Vivek Jain, granted the state more time after Advocate General Prashant Singh requested it to reassure the public in Pithampur and address concerns before proceeding with the disposal.
Singh explained that misinformation regarding the waste disposal had created unrest in Pithampur, leading the bench to prohibit the media from airing false news. The state also sought 3 additional days to unload the waste at Pithampur. The court stated that the government had the authority to handle the matter safely and in accordance with safety protocols.
The issue gained further attention when two protesters attempted to self-immolate during a demonstration in Pithampur, objecting to the planned waste disposal. They claimed that the disposal could harm both the environment and public health. Senior advocate Naman Nagrath, representing the petitioner, argued that the waste should be tested before disposal to ease public fear. He added that the test results should be made public to ensure transparency and to reassure the community.
The petition, filed by the late Alok Pratap Singh in 2004, sought the safe removal and disposal of hazardous waste from the former Union Carbide factory. Singh had advocated for the waste to be tested to determine its current toxicity level. Nagrath reiterated this request, noting that the test results should be publicly disclosed to alleviate public concerns.
The Union Carbide disaster occurred on the night of December 2-3, 1984, when methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Bhopal factory, killing at least 5,479 people and causing long-term health issues for thousands more. In its previous hearing, the High Court had criticized authorities for their delayed response in dealing with the waste and warned of potential consequences if further inaction occurred.
Previously, the court ordered the government to remove and transport the waste within four weeks, threatening contempt proceedings if its directive was not followed.
This latest hearing is part of ongoing legal action initiated by Singh’s petition, which has been advocating for the safe disposal of the waste for nearly two decades.
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