leaders of five organisations fighting for the rights of the survivors of the 1984 Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal, demanded straight answers from concerned Ministers on the secret transport and disposal of hazardous waste from the Union Carbide factory.
The organisation charged the Department of Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation, Madhya Pradesh government of violating the directions of the Supreme Court regarding the disposal of the waste and endangering the lives and health of neighbourhood residents of Pithampur.
While talking to media persons, the organisations expressed regret that instead of focusing on the vital task of scientific assessment of the contaminated area around the abandoned factory, the governments at state and center are causing Bhopal like disasters through thoughtless actions.
Rashida Bee, President of Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh said that in September 2010, the then state environment minister had objected to the disposal Union Carbide waste at Pithampur on the basis that it would lead to the contamination of the Yashwant Sagar reservoir; the source of drinking water for all of Indore. “We want to ask him what is currently being done to protect Indorian’s water from getting contaminated,” she added.
Balkrishna Namdeo, President of Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogee Sangharsh Morcha demanded to know from Babulal Gaur, the then minister of Gas Relief, the steps that had been taken to address his serious doubts regarding the capability of Pithampur facility to handle Bhopal waste. In the Group of Ministers meeting held in October 2012, Gaur was opposed to any decision on test incineration of Bhopal waste in Pithampur as he believed the facility here ranked among the lowest in the country.
Rachna Dhingra of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action expressed apprehension that the directions of the Supreme Court with regard to the ongoing test incineration were being violated. She says that there is nothing to show that the entire operation has been and was being videographed. She expressed particular concern with the absence of monitoring of dioxin and furans that only CPCB expert is capable of who is not on the scene. She pointed out that during the incineration trial runs at Pithampur, people of the area were exposed to dangerous levels of dioxins 6 out of 7 times.