Bhopal Gas Tragedy Toxic Waste Transported Amid Protests. Here's Why

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Forty years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, 377 tons of hazardous waste have been removed from the abandoned Union Carbide factory for proper disposal amid protests.

As reported by PTI, the toxic waste was transported on Wednesday night in 12 sealed container trucks from Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, to the Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district, located 250 km away.

Some local activists have claimed that 10 tons of Union Carbide waste was incinerated on a trial basis in Pithampur in 2015, after which the soil, underground water and water sources in surrounding villages became polluted. But Singh rejected the claim, stating the decision to dispose of the waste at Pithampur was taken only after a report of the 2015 test and all the objections were examined.

Also Read: 40-year-old toxic waste from Bhopal-based Union Carbide factory leaves for disposal site in trucks | Watch video

"There would be no reason to worry, he said. A large number of people on Sunday took out a protest march in Pithampur to oppose the disposal of Union Carbide waste in the city, which has a population of about 1.75 lakh.

“The 12 container trucks carrying the waste set off on a non-stop journey around 9 pm. A green corridor was created for the nearly-seven journey of the vehicles to the Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district,” said Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department Director Swatantra Kumar Singh. Nearly 100 persons worked in 30-minute shifts since Sunday to pack and load the waste in trucks, he said, as reported by PTI.

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