The decision to dispose of the toxic waste at a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) facility near Nagpur was taken after the unit evinced interest in it, as stated by former Union Environment Minister, Mr Jairam Ramesh, here on May 26.
Following this, the Madhya Pradesh High Court had also issued directives to the State Government as well as the DRDO to make arrangements for the transport and disposal of the toxic waste lying in the defunct factory for almost 27 years.
But opposition towards disposing of such a huge quantity of hazardous waste has irked some NGOs and activists here.
According to Ms Rachna Dhingra from ‘Bhopal Group for Information and Action’, an NGO, though the matter is sub-judice and will come up for hearing on July 28, the facility near Nagpur does not have mandatory clearances from Maharashtra Pollution Control Board for operating it.
Speaking to PTI, Ms Dhingra claimed that no facility in India is capable of disposing of such a toxic waste safely and demanded that it should be disposed of in any of the OECD (Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development) countries as they have a capacity to deal with such hazardous waste.
She also suggested that the cost of shipment of toxic material should be charged to Dow Chemicals, the current owner of the defunct plant at Bhopal.
Keywords: Bhopal, Union Carbide, toxic waste disposal, DRDO, NGO
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