Forty years after the Bhopal gas disaster, the shifting of 337 tonnes of chemical waste stored at the Union Carbide factory site began on Wednesday for disposal.
On the night of December 2, 1984, a massive release of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas from the Union Carbide plant turned the city into a gas chamber, killing more than 15,000 people and affecting more than 600,000.
The waste, which has been linked to death in one of India’s worst industrial disasters, was handled under the supervision of the district administration, the municipal corporation, the health department and the pollution control board. The disposal will take place at the center in Pithampur.
About 12 leak-proof and fire-resistant containers were used to transport the waste, each container holding an average of 30 tons. About 100 workers participated in the program, with shifts limited to 30 minutes due to safety concerns.
While the chemical waste was being transported to containers, an area of ​​about 200 meters around the site was closed. All entry points have been closed and more than 1,000 police have been deployed for security.
The waste was transported from Bhopal, Sehore, Dewas and Indore to reach Pithampur. In order to ensure safe transportation, a convoy of 12 boxes traveled at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour. It includes police escorts, ambulances, doctors, firefighters and rapid response teams, with 25 vehicles, which will travel throughout the night.
The waste includes five types of material, including residues of Sevin, an insecticide produced at the Union Carbide plant. The site also contained methyl isocyanate (MIC), a gas that killed thousands of people during the disaster. Additional materials include reactor waste, contaminated soil and other chemicals used in the plant.
The toxic waste includes 162 metric tons of soil, 92 metric tons of Sevin and naphthol residues, 54 tons of partially processed pesticide residues, and 29 tons of reactor waste.
Groups representing victims of the gas have expressed dissatisfaction, saying that the waste released represents less than 1 percent of the total toxic material buried in the entire 36-acre factory site. They argue that this contamination has led to the presence of heavy metals and organochlorines in groundwater in nearby areas, which can cause cancer and kidney disease. These groups want the waste to be dumped in the US, not in India.
In 2015, an experiment was conducted to burn 10 tons of chemical waste. The government is expected to submit an affidavit regarding the annulment of the decision to the court on January 3, before the trial scheduled for January 6.