MP HC clears disposal of toxic waste in Gujarat

Disregarding an objection raised by the Gujarat Government, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed that 350 tonnes of toxic waste, lying at the site of the 1984 gas tragedy in Bhopal, be incinerated at Ankleshwar. In its interim order, a Division Bench of Chief Justice A K Patnaik and Justice Ajit Singh warned that obstruction to disposal of the waste by any individual or institution will be treated as a contempt of court, advocate Naman Nagrath told The Indian Express on Wednesday.

The court had earlier ordered disposal of the waste at Ankleshwar, but the Gujarat Government had opposed it, first by citing opposition from local NGOs and later because of a fire in the incineration facility. The Gujarat Government had challenged in the Supreme Court the contempt of court proceedings initiated against it.

On Tuesday, the High Court took cognizance of a report submitted by a team that visited the Ankleshwar facility on October 15 after the Gujarat Government’s opposition. The team said at the time of its visit only stock that would have taken 30 days for incineration was waiting for disposal and that the Bhopal waste could be disposed of after that.

The disposal of the waste has been a point of disagreement among the NGOs in MP with some arguing that Dow Chemical should be asked to clean up and ship the waste to the US. About 40 tonnes of the hazardous waste from the site was recently disposed of in Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh. The Government had carried out the operation at night to pre-empt the NGOs, which warned that they would not let the waste to be removed.