Bhopal Gas Tragedy 1984: 6.7 Tonnes Of UCC Waste Disposed; People Will Not Face Any Problem, Says Divisional Commissioner Deepak Singh | FP Photo
Pithampur/Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Approximately 6,750 kg (6.7 tonnes) of Union Carbide Corporation’s waste was incinerated in the incinerator operated by M/s Pithampur Industrial Waste Management Pvt Ltd in Dhar district by Sunday evening.
An equal amount of lime was mixed with the waste during burning. The pollution control process utilized about 7,500 kg of lime, 3,750 kg of activated carbon and 50 kg of sulphur for cleaning pollutant gases.
The operation consumed approximately 33,000 litres of diesel. To note, the first trial run for disposing of the waste began on February 28, following an order passed by the Jabalpur high court on February 18, on a writ petition No 2802/2004 (Alok Pratap Singh vs Union of India and others).
Both the Central Pollution Control Board and Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board are continuously monitoring emissions from the chimney, with about 20 officers and staff members overseeing the process.
An Online Continuous Emission Monitoring System (OCEMS) is also in operation to ensure constant tracking of emissions during this significant environmental remediation effort. Indore divisional commissioner Deepak Singh said on Sunday, “The process of disposal of Union Carbide’s waste is going on in Pithampur. Engineers, technicians and pollution board teams are performing their duties. Everything is being monitored as per the norms. The district administration and police are also active. People will not face any problems with waste disposal. There will be no health-related problems.”
The first trial incineration of 10 tonnes of hazardous waste linked to the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy began on Friday, amidst tight security. In the first phase of the trial run, 10 tonnes of waste is to be incinerated at the rate of 135 kg per hour. In the second phase scheduled for March 4, another 10 tonnes of the waste will be incinerated at 180 kg per hour.
Subsequently, in the third phase, 270 kg of waste per hour is set to be disposed of. The result of all three phases of the trial run will be sent to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for evaluation. The CPCB will suggest at which speed the remaining waste should be disposed of. Thereafter, all the results of the trial run and the CPCB guidelines will be presented before the court on March 27.
