– Pervez Bari
Bhopal: Environmental and survivor advocacy groups have warned the Central and Madhya Pradesh governments of a looming “slow-motion Bhopal disaster” in and around Pithampur, an industrial town near Dhar in the Indore Metropolitan Region. The warning stems from concerns over the unsafe disposal of toxic waste from the abandoned Union Carbide factory, managed at a facility run by Re Sustainability Ltd.
At a joint press conference on Wednesday, leaders of four organisations representing survivors of the December 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy highlighted the risks.
The 1984 catastrophe, caused by the release of 40 tonnes of toxic methyl isocyanate gas, exposed over 500,000 people, killing 3,000 almost instantly. Over 25,000 have died from related effects in the years since, while hundreds of thousands continue to suffer chronic health issues, with many permanently disabled.
Rashida Bee, president of Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, stated, “The Ministry of Environment & Forests has reported that the incineration of Union Carbide’s hazardous waste will produce 900 tonnes of residue containing high concentrations of toxic heavy metals. Given that Pithampur’s so-called secure landfills have been leaking hazardous leachate for years, there is no guarantee these toxins won’t contaminate water sources in the area.”
Balkrishna Namdeo of Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogee Sangharsh Morcha cited a local investigative report revealing severe water contamination around Pithampur and a high prevalence of illnesses linked to emissions and effluents from the Re Sustainability facility. “The Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board has failed to address these routine environmental crimes, eroding any trust we had in their oversight,” he added.
Rachna Dhingra of Bhopal Group for Information & Action warned, “The incineration of hazardous waste from Bhopal is planned to last over three and a half months, potentially exposing more than 100,000 people to airborne toxins and particulate matter. This is tantamount to creating a deliberate public health disaster.”
Nawab Khan of Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha pointed out, “Former ministers Jayant Mallaiya and Babulal Gaur had opposed the incineration of Bhopal’s toxic waste at Pithampur in several official meetings. The Commissioner for Gas Relief even filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court against it. We are revealing these facts now to ensure current officials cannot later claim ignorance of the risks.”
The leaders emphasised that the hazardous waste disposal plans threaten to replicate the environmental and health catastrophe of the Bhopal disaster, demanding immediate intervention to prevent history from repeating itself in Pithampur.
