Amid 337 tonnes of toxic waste linked to the Bhopal gas tragedy arriving in Dhar from the defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal on Thursday and ensuing protests, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister addressed "doubters" and said the issue should not be politicised.
Yadav asserted the waste comprised 60 percent mud and 40 percent naphtol used to make pesticide methyl isocyanate and was "not at all harmful".
"Its poison lasts for around 25 years as per scientists and this tragedy took place 40 years ago," he said.
Highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas had leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, killing 5,479 persons and leaving thousands of others with serious, long-term health issues.
It is widely acknowledged as the world's worst industrial disaster.
Forty years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, 337 tons of waste was shifted from the defunct Union Carbide factory for its disposal at a unit in Dhar district.
It was transported at around 9 pm on Wednesday in 12 sealed container trucks via a 'green corridor' from Bhopal to Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district, located 250 km away.
Amid tight security, the vehicles reached around 4.30 am on Thursday at a factory in Pithampur where the waste will be disposed of, a police official said earlier in the day.
Addressing a press conference, CM Yadav said scientific studies have been carried out and safe technology will be deployed for the (waste) incineration process.
"Politics should not be done over the issue. Dhar guardian minister Kailash Vijayvargiya will talk to the people and share information that the waste is not at all poisonous or harmful. The answer to all doubts comes from the fact that we have been living with the waste (for all these years)," he said.
"The Congress or those opposing the disposal process should not indulge in politics. I am saying all this to explain to people who are doubting. The apprehensions regarding disposal of this waste is baseless. The waste is being disposed of in Pithampur as per scientific methods on the directions of the Supreme Court," the CM asserted.
The process started after suggestions and tests from many departments, extensive studies that have not been carried out anywhere in the world before this, as well as directions from the court, he said.
"Various Central institutions like National Environmental Engineering and Research Institute Nagpur, National Geophysical Institute Hyderabad, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology and Central Pollution Control Board carried out these studies. In 2013, 10 tonnes of this waste was transported to the institute in Kochi in Kerala and later tested at Pithampur," Yadav pointed out.
The Supreme Court allowed this (disposal) process only after thoroughly examining all reports, Yadav added.
Meanwhile, MP Congress chief Jitu Patwari said the disposal of this waste could increase the risk of cancer among people of Pithampur and Indore as per experts.
"We do not want to politicise the issue. But till experts reach a clear opinion on waste disposal at Pithampur, the process should be stopped," the Congress leader added.
He also said the HC had issued directives on disposing of the waste, but did not specify it must be done in Pithampur in Dhar district.
Speaking hours after the waste arrived in Dhar, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the disposal of toxic waste must be undertaken after detailed discussions with scientists and experts as it has a bearing on the well-being of citizens.
"Our hearts tremble when we recollect the horrific Bhopal gas tragedy. The toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory must be disposed of. However, it should be done after detailed discussions with scientists, experts and local residents since it is a question of people's health," said Mahajan, who was MP of Indore from 1989 till 2019.
"The disposal of this waste is not a political issue at all. The discussion should touch upon whether there will be any adverse effect on the environment, land and water sources after the waste is destroyed in Pithampur. The people of Bhopal have been suffering due to the ill effects of the gas tragedy for generations. So this waste should be disposed of with full caution," Mahajan asserted.
Incidentally, Patwari had met Mahajan at her Indore residence and sought her help to halt the disposal plan.
Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department Director Swatantra Kumar Singh had said on Wednesday that the waste will be incinerated in three months if everything went as per plan, or else it could take up to nine months.
"Initially, some of the waste will be burnt at the disposal unit in Pithampur and the residue (ash) will be examined to find whether any harmful elements are left. The smoke from the incinerator will pass through special four-layer filters so that the surrounding air is not polluted," he had said.
"Once it is confirmed that no traces of toxic elements are left, the ash will be covered by a two-layer membrane and buried to ensure it does not come in contact with soil and water in any way. A team of experts under the supervision of Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Board officials will carry out the process," Singh said.
Meanwhile, a group of people protested in Pithampur against the disposal plan and said a "bandh" would be observed on Friday on the issue. Similar protests also took place on Sunday.
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