Pithampur
Opposition to the Union Carbide waste brought from Bhopal is increasing in Pithampur, the industrial area of Dhar district. In protest against this, the already announced bandh today is getting widespread support. In protest, two protesters poured petrol on themselves and set themselves on fire. At present he has been admitted to Indore hospital.
Actually, the markets of Pithampur are closed since Friday morning. Residents have supported this bandh by keeping tea and water shops closed. Even small shops are closed here.
Here, some Bandh supporters reached Dhangad, Bus Stand and Azad Chowk and tried to block the roads. But there was a clash with the police officers present there. The police lathicharged some bandh supporters, used mild force and sent them away after giving advice.
At the same time, a large number of people are coming in support of Sandeep Raghuvanshi who is on fast unto death since Thursday. While visiting MLA Kamlesh Dodiyar is also present at the protest site.
Tourist MLA Kamlesh Dodiyar also joins the protest
However, factories are operational in the industrial area. There is no hindrance in the movement of employees and labourers. Buses are also operating. Adequate police force has been deployed in the area.
Congress cornered BJP government
Congress has surrounded the BJP government on the lathi charge of Dhar. MP Congress has asked, “Is there democracy left in Madhya Pradesh or not?” Youth lathicharged for protesting against burning of toxic waste by Union Carbide in Pithampur, youth jailed for protesting against MPPSC. This government has learned only to suppress opposition! It is difficult to talk about rights in the anarchic rule of Mohan Sarkar.”
Congress is doing politics: Deputy CM
On the lathi charge over Union Carbide waste in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla said that the government had already made it clear that the waste is no longer harmful and its impact has not gone away even after 25 years of the incident. There is no harm in burning garbage in Pithampur also, so the people there need not panic. Congress is doing politics in the name of Union Carbide.
337 tonnes of poisonous waste sent 250 km away from Bhopal
40 years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, 337 tonnes of toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory was delivered early Thursday to an industrial waste disposal unit in Pithampur, near Indore. Under tight security arrangements, by creating a green corridor, the toxic waste was sent in 12 sealed container trucks to the waste disposal unit of Pithampur Industrial Area in Dhar district, 250 km from Bhopal. A large number of police forces have been deployed around this unit operated by a private company.
Meanwhile, local civic groups have announced to continue their protests in the industrial town demanding that the toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory in Pithampur not be destroyed. A bandh has also been called for Friday in Pithampur, which has a population of about 1.75 lakh.
Citizens have expressed fear of adverse effects on human population and environment due to destruction of toxic waste in Pithampur. The state government has dismissed these apprehensions by assuring that there will be concrete arrangements for safe disposal of this waste.
Actually, Pithampur falls in Dhar Lok Sabha constituency. Savitri Thakur, who represents this region in the Lok Sabha, is the Minister of State for Women and Child Development in the Central Government. Thakur said that we the public representatives will convey the plea of the citizens of Pithampur to the state Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and the Chief Minister will be requested to take appropriate steps.
Pithampur is about 30 kilometers away from Indore, the state’s main city. Citizens of Indore are also protesting against the burning of poisonous waste of Union Carbide factory in Pithampur.
Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava has demanded that the plan to destroy this waste in Pithampur should be reconsidered and a review petition should be filed in the Madhya Pradesh High Court on behalf of the state government in this regard.
Let us tell you that on the intervening night of 2-3 December 1984, there was leakage of highly poisonous methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal. At least 5,479 people were killed and thousands were maimed. It is considered one of the world’s biggest industrial disasters.
On December 3, the Madhya Pradesh High Court had set a deadline of four weeks to shift the toxic waste of this factory and had warned the government that if its direction was not followed, contempt action would be taken.
Swatantra Kumar Singh, director of the state’s Gas Relief and Rehabilitation Department, said that initially some part of the waste will be incinerated at the waste disposal unit in Pithampur and its solid residue (ash) will be scientifically examined to find out whether it contains any substance. No harmful elements are left.
He told that the smoke coming out of burning of waste in the incinerator will be passed through a special filter with four levels so that the surrounding air is not polluted and every moment record of this process will be kept. After the waste is incinerated and free from harmful elements, its solid residue (ash) will be covered with a strong two-layer membrane and buried in the ‘landfill site’ so that this waste does not come in contact with soil and water in any way. I couldn’t come.
