Indore: Even as the Supreme Court on Thursday gave the Madhya Pradesh government the go-ahead for the disposal of Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) waste at the Pithampur industrial site, the political controversy surrounding the issue continues to escalate.
The opposition Congress has accused the ruling BJP of presenting “incorrect data” and “misleading reports” before the court while allegedly concealing facts related to water contamination around the Pithampur industrial area.
State Congress president Jitu Patwari on Friday criticised the BJP government, stating that despite Indore and Pithampur being strongholds of the party, its leaders have remained silent on the issue.
“At present, there are two senior ministers from Indore, and they should speak up to protect public health. This UCIL waste will cause cancer among the people of Pithampur,” Patwari alleged.
The Congress leader, who hails from Indore, challenged the BJP government to conduct a groundwater survey around the Ramky factory premises to reveal the truth.
“I challenge the MP government to conduct a groundwater survey around the Ramky factory premises. If there is no poison in Union Carbide’s waste, then Ramky should get the water tested in the 10 km area around the company. If cancer-causing elements are not found, then I will publicly apologise! The court directed the state government to decide on the waste disposal based on facts, but the government is suppressing critical information,” Patwari said.
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to interfere with the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s order allowing the shifting of toxic waste from the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy site to Pithampur in Dhar district for disposal.
A bench of Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih disposed of a petition challenging the December 3, 2024, High Court order directing the state government to remove the toxic waste from the UCIL site.
The bench noted that the High Court’s order was based on recommendations from an expert committee comprising directors of the National Environmental Engineering Institute (NEERI), the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), and the chairman of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The court observed that both NEERI and NGRI are “institutes of repute and recognition” in their respective fields, and courts have often relied on their expert views in environmental matters.
The state government, the Supreme Court stated, made its decision based on the expert panel’s approval. The High Court had also expressed concerns over the slow progress in handling the waste disposal issue and was actively monitoring the matter.
“It is evident that only after the High Court’s intervention did the process move forward. Since the High Court is overseeing the matter, we find no reason to interfere with its order,” the bench ruled.
The top court also directed civil society members and other intervenors to present their concerns before the High Court, which would take them into consideration. Parties were further allowed to submit suggestions to the High Court or the state government, which would then forward them to the expert committee for review.
On January 1, around 377 tonnes of hazardous waste from the defunct UCIL factory were transferred to the Pithampur industrial area, about 250 km from Bhopal and 30 km from Indore, for disposal.
The 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, one of the world’s worst industrial disasters, occurred when highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide factory on the intervening night of December 2-3. The disaster claimed 5,479 lives and affected over five lakh people.
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