BJP, Congress trade allegations as trial burning of Union Carbide waste begins

M.P.’s CM Mohan Yadav alleged that the waste had been transported to Pithampur as “there are hidden financial interests” of the government and its leaders. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and State Congress president Jitu Patwari on Friday (February 28, 2025) engaged in counter allegations after the incineration of the Union Carbide’s 40-year-old toxic waste began at a facility in Pithampur, as part of the first trial run allowed by the High Court.

Mr. Patwari alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has given “cancer” to the future generations as he claimed that “cancer-causing elements” will be found in the groundwater in areas around the facility in Pithampur.

In response, Mr. Yadav charged the Congress had “distributed death” during the 1984’s Bhopal’s gas tragedy and termed the waste as “Congress’ garbage”, going on to allege that Mr. Patwari “scaring” people.

Burning of a 10-tonne batch began at the private facility in Dhar district’s Pithampur industrial area, near Indore, in the early hours of Friday (February 28, 2025) after the preparations that began on Thursday (February 27, 2025) were complete, shortly after the Supreme Court refused to intervene into the High Court’s February 18 order of three trial runs.

Swatantra Kumar Singh, Director, Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department, told The Hindu that the process is likely to be completed in 72 hours.

Demanding a test of groundwater in a 10-km radius around the facility in Indore, Mr. Patwari said, “I once again challenge the Chief Minister and the entire system of the State BJP government. If there is no poison in the Union Carbide waste, then get the groundwater tested within a 10-km radius around the Ramky company [parent group of the facility]. If cancer-causing elements are not found, I will publicly apologise.”

He went on to allege that the waste had been transported to Pithampur as “there are hidden financial interests” of the government and its leaders.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Yadav responded saying, “Jitu Patwari is doing his job as per his understanding. Has he forgotten that this was Congress’s garbage. The Congress had distributed death in Bhopal. If more than 10 lakh people died in the Union Carbide [tragedy], it was due to the lapses on part of the Congress regime of that time. And they kept spreading this disease for years. On one side they left Bhopal to die, and on the other, he is scaring people. He should apologise and be ashamed of it.”

According to the Union government’s 2022 estimates, a total of 5,479 people lost their lives due to the tragedy, caused by the leak of toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas from the Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) factory in December 1984.

The Hindu had earlier reported on Pithampur residents’ concerns, similar to Mr. Patwari’s claims, who blame the Ramky Group’s waste treatment facility for several of their problems such as “contaminated and undrinkable groundwater, foul smell during monsoon, and skin and oral diseases”.

Meanwhile, Indore Divisional Commissioner Deepak Kumar Singh, who inspected the burning process, said the incineration process was going on under the supervision of experts from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) and that it is being constantly monitored.

“All the parameters of the gases releasing due to the [incineration] process are available online. There has been no problem in the whole process so far. We have also held detailed discussions with the experts on this matter on Friday (February 28, 2025),” he said, adding that the administration is planning to hold a public dialogue after the first trial run is complete.

The Commissioner also said that reports of each trial will be submitted before the High Court as they will be conducted at different burning rates.

Earlier on Thursday (February 27, 2025), Srinivas Dwivedi, regional officer, MPPCB, said the waste contained five types of elements, including soil from the defunct-UCIL site, reactor residue, sevin (pesticide) residue, naphthal residue and “semi-processed” residue.

He said that all five elements were mixed in appropriate portions to get a 10-tonne batch for the trial.

The next two trials allowed by the High Court are scheduled on March 4 and 10 and the reports are to be submitted before the High Court in the next hearing on March 27.