Even as the Supreme Court granted the Madhya Pradesh government permission to dispose 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 about water contamination in the Pithampur industrial area.
State Congress president Jitu Patwari on Friday criticized the BJP government, questioning its silence despite Indore and Pithampur being its strongholds.
"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 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. If there is no poison in Union Carbide's waste, then Ramky should get the water tested within a 10 km radius. If cancer-causing elements are not found, I will publicly apologize! The court directed the state government to decide based on facts, but critical information is being suppressed," he claimed.
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, which directed 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 from 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 NEERI and NGRI are "institutes of repute and recognition," and courts have often relied on their expert opinions in environmental matters. It stated that the Madhya Pradesh government had made its decision based on the expert panel’s approval.
The High Court had 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 Supreme Court also directed civil society members and other intervenors to present their concerns before the High Court, which would take them into consideration. It further allowed parties 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.
With political tensions rising over the issue, the debate over environmental and public health concerns is expected to continue.
