337 MT Of UCC Waste Is Being Removed; Gas Victims Doubt Total Clean-Up | FP Photo

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The clean -up drive of Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department (BGTRRD) for UCC chemical waste has evoked reactions from gas victims on Sunday. Gas victims have called 337 MT UCC waste which is being cleaned up, a tip of the iceberg as actual chemicals are in three Solar Evaporation Ponds (SEPs) and 19 dumpties which are polluting ground water in UCC plant vicinity.

Chemicals are buried in dumpties. Bhopal Gas Information and Action (BGIA) NGO convenor Rachna Dhingra said, ‘We are now hopeful that after incineration of 1 per cent of total waste, the waste that contaminated soil and ground water would finally be addressed.

Gas victims have called 337 MT UCC waste which is being cleaned up, a tip of the iceberg as actual chemicals are in three SEPs and 19 dumpties which are polluting ground water in UCC plant vicinity. Secondly, 300 MT incineration will generate three times more chemical residue which will create another problem at Pithampur.’

FP Photo

Gas Relief Commissioner Swatantra Kumar Singh said, ‘We have been told by the High Court for clean-up of 337 MT and we are doing that. We are complying HC order in toto.’ On the other hand, the clean-up move has generated curiosity in young generation (gas victims’ children) and other localities in Bhopal.

The children who used to enter in UCC plant campus to play, were found looking inside as porous boundary wall was barricaded on Sunday to prevent entry of anyone during the clean-up drive. The road was heavily barricaded for restricted traffic movement at gate of the UCC plant which has been wearing a deserted look for the last 40 years.

Youngsters react on the move

Aslam, hardly 15-years-old and resident of Rambha Nagar located across the road of UCC plant, said, ‘We used to play at noon in the campus but today, pores of the boundary wall have been barricaded to check entry.’ Anjum, another youngster said, ‘So far, we have seen protest on the anniversary of Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Now we are watching a massive clean-up drive. We want to watch the process in the campus but we have been deprived of this opportunity.’


Rahul Dev

Cricket Jounralist at Newsdesk

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