Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): After the recent cleanup of chemical waste at the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) plant, public attention has now turned to the fate of the plantís structure. Questions are being raised about whether the UCC plant will be demolished or preserved. While the state government has proposed creating a memorial at the site, experts suggest that no structural changes will occur until the ongoing court cases are resolved.
According to legal experts, the UCC plant structure is likely to remain intact as long as the petitions in various courtsótrial court, High Court, and Supreme Courtóare pending. As a result, the state government may face significant legal hurdles if it attempts to dismantle the plant structure in the same manner as the removal of chemical waste.
Advocate Sajid Ali, who is associated with gas victims, emphasized the legal distinction between the cleanup of dumped chemicals and the dismantling of the plant. “The chemical cleanup is a separate issue, but dismantling the UCC structure is a different matter altogether. Given the ongoing cases, it wonít be possible to proceed with any demolition,” he stated.
Abdul Saeed Khan, a former UCC worker, also highlighted the complexity of razing the structure. “Although there are rumours that the government plans to dismantle the UCC plant after the cleanup, it will not be so easy. The ongoing cases mean the structure must be preserved,” he explained.
Rachna Dhingra, convener of Bhopal Gas Information and Action (BGIA), echoed these concerns, stressing that the UCC plant structure must be maintained until the court cases are resolved.
She also mentioned that the proposed memorial would require the structure to be preserved in its current form. As the legal proceedings continue, the fate of the UCC plant structure remains uncertain, with experts calling for caution in making any irreversible changes.
