The Madhya Pradesh High Court’s Jabalpur bench has approved the state government’s three-phase trial run for disposing of 30 tonnes of toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory. The state informed the court that the first trial will be conducted on February 27, followed by the second on March 4 and the third on March 10. The results will be analyzed before proceeding with the incineration of the remaining waste.
The state government submitted a compliance report to the court on 18 February, a day after the Supreme Court admitted a petition challenging the disposal of toxic waste in Pithampur and issued notices to both the Union and state governments. A bench comprising Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Vivek Jain approved the trial run, according to Prashant Singh, the state’s advocate general.
As per the plan, the waste will be incinerated at different temperatures and rates in each trial phase, with the results submitted to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for evaluation. Based on CPCB’s recommendations, the state will determine the final parameters for temperature, disposal intervals, and waste quantity. The CPCB’s final report will be presented before the High Court on March 27, Singh stated.
The process of unloading 337 tonnes of toxic waste in Pithampur, Dhar district, began on February 13, 42 days after it was transported from Bhopal for incineration. In a hearing on January 6, the court had granted the state six weeks to complete the disposal while ensuring adherence to all safety protocols and engaging with local communities in Pithampur, some of whom had been protesting against the incineration. Since then, the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board, district administration, and officials from the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department have conducted nearly 100 meetings in Dhar and Indore to address concerns.
The toxic waste had remained abandoned at the defunct factory for four decades following the gas leak at Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) on the night of December 2-3, 1984, which officially claimed 3,928 lives and affected multiple generations of exposed residents. The state government asserted in court that most residents are now convinced of the safety of the disposal process, with only a few continuing to protest. However, members of the Pithampur Bachao Samiti remain opposed to the plan and continue to demonstrate, hoping that the Supreme Court will intervene and halt the disposal.
