Supreme Court refuses to halt disposal of waste from Bhopal’s Union Carbide plant at Pithampur

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to interfere with the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s order allowing the disposal of 40-year-old chemical waste from Bhopal’s defunct Union Carbide factory in Pithampur, reported Live Law.

The High Court on February 18 permitted the state government to conduct trials to incinerate the waste in three phases, with the first scheduled to begin on Thursday.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and AG Masih allowed the petitioners to approach the High Court once again.

In December 1984, methyl isocyanate and other toxic gases leaked from the pesticide plant of Union Carbide India Limited in Bhopal.

Over five lakh persons were exposed to the toxic gases and at least 4,000 were killed as a result in the ensuing days. Government data suggests that there have been 15,000 deaths as a result of the disaster over the years.

On December 3, the High Court had set a four-week deadline to shift the waste from Bhopal to Pithampur, criticising the authorities for not clearing up the accident site despite directions from the Supreme Court.

The petitioners challenged this order, stating that the matter was not discussed with Pithampur residents, reported The Indian Express. They also told the Supreme Court that the state government had not clarified the matter of residents’ safety and security.

Senior Advocate Devdatt Kamat stated that the High Court had constituted...

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