Toxic Waste from Bhopal Disaster Transported for Disposal 40 Years Later

INIndia|

In a significant development, 337 tons of toxic waste from the Bhopal disaster have been transported for disposal, nearly 40 years after the catastrophic gas leak that claimed thousands of lives. According to local authorities, the hazardous waste was loaded into containers and transported by trucks to a burning facility located 240 kilometers away, overseen by experts.

Swatantra Kumar Singh, head of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy relief and rehabilitation office, announced today in Delhi that the incineration process could commence immediately, although it is expected to take up to nine months to complete.

Concerns have been raised by civil society organizations in Pithampur, as reported by NDTV, which have urged against the burning due to fears of toxic gas emissions. They advocate for the waste to be sent abroad for disposal instead.

The Bhopal disaster occurred in December 1984 when a large quantity of the toxic chemical methyl isocyanate escaped from a tank at a pesticide plant owned by Union Carbide, leading to the deaths of over 20,000 people and leaving countless others with chronic health issues, including birth defects. Union Carbide has been a subsidiary of the Dow chemical company since 2001.

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