41 Years After Bhopal Gas Tragedy, All 337 Tons Of Toxic Waste Incinerated At Pithampur
/ Jul 01, 2025, 07:40PM IST
A major chapter in the Bhopal Gas Disaster ended on June 29 with the complete incineration of 337 metric tons of hazardous waste at the Treatment Storage Disposal Facility in Pithampur, MP. Stored at the Union Carbide factory for over 40 years, the toxic waste was transported under strict safety measures in January. The incineration process, monitored by pollution control authorities, kept all harmful emissions within permissible limits. Real-time air and mercury monitoring systems were installed to track pollution levels. Around 800 tons of ash will go to landfill, while 21 tons of residual material will be incinerated by July 3.#bhopalgastragedy #unioncarbide #toxicwaste #pithampur #hazardouswaste #wasteincineration #environmentalcleanup #pollutioncontrol #realtimemonitoring #madhyapradesh #industrialdisaster #publichealth #landfill #chemicalwaste #safetymeasures #toi #toibharat
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Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
19 tonnes of soil containing Union Carbide waste incinerated four decades after Bhopal gas tragedy
Around 19 tonnes of soil containing residual toxic waste from the defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal has been incinerated and reduced to ashes at a disposal plant in Madhya Pradesh's Pithampur town, an official said on Thursday. Earlier, 337 tonnes of the waste from the factory premises had been incinerated in multiple phases at the same facility, located 30 km from here, he said. At least 5,479 people were killed and thousands were maimed after the highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide's pesticide factory in Bhopal on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, in one of the biggest industrial disasters in the world. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Talking to PTI, Shrinivas Dwivedi, the Regional Officer of the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB), said the "additional waste" soil has now been incinerated at the Pithampur facility. "Nineteen tonnes of waste was part of the remaining contaminated material left at the factory's premises following the 1984 gas leak disaster," he said. Live Events About 2.22 tonnes of waste from the packaging material used in the transportation of the Union Carbide waste has also been separated. This mainly includes iron drums, which are being dismantled and subjected to high-temperature incineration, he said. The disposal of the packaging waste was expected to be completed shortly, he said. The original dump of waste was mixed with lime and other materials before incineration, which generated over 800 tonnes of ash. This ash has been stored in leak-proof bags, inside a secure storage shed at the facility. A dedicated landfill cell is being constructed, as per scientific protocols, to permanently dispose of this ash, Dwivedi said. The toxic waste was transported to Pithampur, around 250 km from Bhopal, on January 2, amid protests by local residents. Demonstrators expressed fears of environmental and public health hazards, which were dismissed by the state government. Initially, 30 tonnes of waste was burnt at the plant during three trials. After this, citing the analysis report, the state government told the high court that during the trials conducted at the rates of 135 kg per hour, 180 kg per hour and 270 kg per hour, the emissions were found to be within prescribed limits. The MPPCB maintained that emissions from the incineration process, including particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, hydrogen fluoride, nitrogen oxides, mercury, cadmium, and other heavy metals remained within permissible limits during the operations. According to the pollution board, the Union Carbide waste comprised contaminated soil, reactor residues, remnants of the pesticide Sevin, naphthol, and other semi-processed substances. The board stated that scientific evidence indicated negligible traces of Sevin and naphthol remained in the waste, and confirmed the absence of methyl isocyanate and radioactive elements.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
41 Years After Bhopal Gas Tragedy, All 337 Tons Of Toxic Waste Incinerated At Pithampur
/ Jul 01, 2025, 07:40PM IST A major chapter in the Bhopal Gas Disaster ended on June 29 with the complete incineration of 337 metric tons of hazardous waste at the Treatment Storage Disposal Facility in Pithampur, MP. Stored at the Union Carbide factory for over 40 years, the toxic waste was transported under strict safety measures in January. The incineration process, monitored by pollution control authorities, kept all harmful emissions within permissible limits. Real-time air and mercury monitoring systems were installed to track pollution levels. Around 800 tons of ash will go to landfill, while 21 tons of residual material will be incinerated by July 3.#bhopalgastragedy #unioncarbide #toxicwaste #pithampur #hazardouswaste #wasteincineration #environmentalcleanup #pollutioncontrol #realtimemonitoring #madhyapradesh #industrialdisaster #publichealth #landfill #chemicalwaste #safetymeasures #toi #toibharat
Mint
5 days ago
- Mint
Union Carbide's 337-ton waste finally incinerated, 40 years after Bhopal gas tragedy
The entire 337 tons of waste of the now-defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh has been incinerated, officials said. The waste has been reduced to ashes at a disposal plant in the state's Pithampur town, they said on June 30 – six months after the toxic consignment was brought to the unit. 'The pollution board officials have informed us that all the waste has been disposed of as per protocol,' Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Director, Swatanta Kumar Singh, was quoted as saying in The Indian Express. The process of relocating the toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory began on January 1, about 40 years after the tragedy. While 30 tons of the waste was burnt earlier during three trials at the plant, the remaining 307 tons was incinerated between May 5 and the intervening night of June 29-30, the State Pollution Control Board official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. The waste disposal at the plant in Dhar district's Pithampur industrial town was undertaken following the directives of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. This exercise initially faced protests from local residents who feared adverse impacts on the environment and their health. The highly poisonous methyl isocyanate gas (MIC) leaked from the Union Carbide's pesticide factory in Bhopal on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, causing one of the biggest industrial disasters in the world. At least 5,479 persons were killed, and thousands were maimed. The process of burning 307 tons of the factory waste at the disposal plant operated by a private company in Pithampur began around 7.45 pm on May 5 and ended on the intervening night of June 29-30 at 1 am, State Pollution Control Board's regional officer Srinivas Dwivedi told PTI. It was incinerated at a maximum rate of 270 kg per hour under the supervision of technical experts of the Central Pollution Control Board and the State Pollution Control Board, following the High Court's directive issued on March 27, he said. "We have no information about any adverse effect on the health of people living in surrounding areas during the incineration of the waste," he said. According to Dwivedi, the ash and other residue left after burning the total 337 tons of waste were being safely packed in sacks and kept in a leak-proof storage shed of the plant. Special landfill cells were being constructed as per scientific process to bury the residue (waste leftovers) in the ground, and this work is expected to be completed by November, he said. "If everything goes well, these residue will also be disposed of by December. Before this, the residue will be treated scientifically so that their burial does not cause any harm to the environment," the official said. Later, in a press release, the State Pollution Control Board said about 19 tons of 'excess waste' found in the soil of the Union Carbide factory premises is being incinerated at the Pithampur plant, and this process will be completed by July 3. According to the release, 2.22 tons of waste from the packaging material, including all the waste from the Union Carbide factory was brought in January in vehicles, has been put separately, and it will be buried scientifically after treatment. The pollution board officials have informed us that all the waste has been disposed of as per protocol. The waste from the Union Carbide factory included soil from the premises of the closed unit, reactor residue, Sevin (pesticide) residue, naphthal residue and "semi-processed" residue. Scientific evidence shows that effect of Sevin and naphthal chemicals in this waste has already become "almost negligible". There was no presence of methyl isocyanate gas in the waste and it also did not contain any radioactive particles, as per the State Pollution Control Board. Key Takeaways The incineration of the Union Carbide waste is a pivotal step in addressing the aftermath of the Bhopal disaster. Community protests highlight the ongoing concerns regarding environmental safety and health risks associated with hazardous waste disposal. The completion of this process illustrates the importance of adhering to judicial directives and environmental protocols.
