3 days ago
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.
