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Dispose Union Carbide waste: SC
The waste creating soil,air and air pollution for last 24 years Source: The Indian Express,New Delhi, Date: , 2009
The Supreme Court has directed the Centre and MP
and Gujarat govts to resolve the issue relating to disposal of around 350
metric tonnes of hazardous toxic waste from the now-defunct Union Carbide India
Ltd's plant in Bhopal. The uncertainty over the fate of the toxic waste has
been prevailing for more than two decades.
The waste is allegedly causing air, soil and water pollution as it is lying at
the plant of the Union Carbide India Ltd (now Dow Chemicals) for the last 24
years. A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan asked the Ministry of
Chemicals and Fertilisers to decide the issue with the other two states and
inform the court about the final decision on February 20, the next date of
hearing. The Union Carbide plant at Bhopal is the site of one of the largest
industrial disasters (Bhopal gas tragedy) in the world. More than 17,000 people
had died due to release of 42 tonnes of toxic methyle isocyanate on December 3,
1984.
The issue has reached the apex court in an appeal filed by the Gujarat
government challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court's order that cleared the
transportation of several tonnes of toxic waste from Bhopal plant to Ankleshwar
in Gujarat by the end of January 2009.
The High Court while setting aside objections raised by the Gujarat government
and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) had directed the authorities to
carry the toxic waste to Ankleshwar for disposal in the incinerator of Bharuch
Eviro Infrastructure Ltd.
The order of the High Court, which had also threatened to initiate contempt
proceedings against those who objected to disposal of the toxic waste at
Ankleshwar, had come on a petition by a social activist seeking direction for
safe disposal of the waste.
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