February 27th 2025.
In a recent development, the Supreme Court made a decision on Thursday to dismiss petitions that were challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court's directive for a trial run to dispose of approximately 340 tonnes of toxic waste from Union Carbide. According to a government official, this means that the state government can now proceed with the trial run of the toxic waste in batches.
The petitioners had raised concerns about the government's presentation of incomplete data to the Madhya Pradesh High Court and the lack of permission from the Pithampur local body to incinerate the waste at a private facility. They argued that the state had obtained trial run permission based on incomplete information. However, the bench of Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih stated that these concerns should be addressed to the state High Court, which is closely monitoring the process.
In response to the petitioners, government advocates stated that a high-power committee had deemed the incineration process to be appropriate. The Supreme Court reiterated that any objections should be presented to the state High Court only. With the latest order from the Supreme Court, a government official informed that the state government will now proceed with the trial run of the toxic waste as directed by the high court in Jabalpur.
Reports suggest that a heavy police force has been deployed at the private facility in Tarpura village of Pithampur, Dhar district. The trial disposal will involve burning portions of the waste at specific rates, following guidelines from the Central Pollution Control Board. Each trial will last for three to four days, and the state must carefully evaluate the environmental and local impacts of the process.
Earlier, the Madhya Pradesh High Court had directed the state government to conduct a trial disposal of the toxic waste in batches and report back by March 27. The toxic waste, which was previously stored at a private facility in Tarpura village, was originally housed at the Union Carbide India Pvt Ltd site in Bhopal for 40 years after the tragic gas leak in 1984.
Following a court order, the state government securely packed the waste into 12 fireproof and leakproof containers on January 1. These were then transported under tight security with medical, fire, and labor support, strictly following SOPs and regulations from the Central Pollution Control Board. Despite some public unrest fueled by misleading media reports, the court, on January 6, instructed the government to dispose of the toxic waste in compliance with the December 3, 2024, order.
Meanwhile, a few individuals had also filed petitions in the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the trial run. However, with the recent dismissal of the aforementioned petitions, the state government can now move forward with the trial run as directed by the High Court.
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