Dhar: A large number of residents of Pithampur here in Dhar staged a protest against the shifting of toxic waste materials from Union Carbide Factory located in Bhopal to Pithampur in Dhar district for disposal on Friday, demanding to send back the containers carrying the hazardous waste.
After four decades of the tragic incident, "Bhopal gas tragedy"- touted as the world's worst industrial disaster, the toxic waste materials from the Union Carbide factory site were transported to Pithampur for its safe disposal on the night of January 1.
Tragedy claimed thousands of lives
The Bhopal gas tragedy had claimed the lives of several thousand people after deadly gas leaked from the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant on the intervening night of December 2 and 3, 1984.
Protesters speak
Among the protesters, a social worker Sandeep Raghuvanshi said, "There is anger among the public and the local administration is presenting false reports at higher ups that there wasn't any anger but it is. We have only one request from the state government that the containers of the toxic waste should be sent back from Pithampur. My strike would be continued till the 12 containers of waste brought from Bhopal were sent back from here."
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Local Bandh
Locals also called for a 'Bandh' and closed their shops to mark their protest against the incineration of the toxic waste in Pithampur.
A local shopkeeper said, "The reason for shutting down the shop is that the 40-year-old toxic waste from Bhopal has been brought here in Pithampur for its disposal. We will not let the waste be incinerated here. We are with the people of Pithampur.
In order to protect our people, we have voluntarily shut down our shops to mark our protest. We want from the government that this waste should not be incinerated in Pithampur."
Police lathi charge
Meanwhile, the police used lathi charge to disperse the protesters protesting against shifting of toxic waste.
Earlier on Thursday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav clarified that the disposal of waste would have no impact on the environment at all.
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"For the last 40 years, the people of Bhopal have been living with this waste. Many of the Government of India's organisations were involved in the disposal of this toxic waste. Earlier, the 10 MT waste was incinerated in Pithampur as a trial run in 2015 and the report of it prepared in the presence of scientists was presented before the Supreme Court.
"It was revealed in the report that the disposal of the hazardous waste has no impact on the environment. After detailed analysis of the reports, the MP High Court directed to incinerate the remaining hazardous waste," Mohan Yadav said.
