BHOPAL/JABALPUR: Madhya Pradesh high court on Monday gave the state govt six weeks to dispose of the Union Carbide waste under safety protocols, and prohibited media from giving “incorrect news” on the issue.
The state govt, in its compliance report, had referred to resentment among Pithampur citizens over disposal of Carbide waste at a plant in the industrial township and sought six months to take people into confidence and let them know that disposal of chemical waste was harm-free.
The state sought three days to unload the 337 metric tonnes waste, carried in 12 sealed containers. The division bench comprising Chief Justice SK Kait and Justice Vivek Jain said it was the state’s prerogative to act on this and ensure safe disposal of waste.
HC also asked govt to take into consideration the points raised by Alumni Association of Mahatma Gandhi Medical College, Indore, and some more groups in their intervention application opposing disposal of Carbide waste at the Pithampur facility.
The intervention petition by the doctors contends that the trial run for incineration of Carbide waste at Pithampur was carried out in 2015 and that disposal of waste is being carried out now on the basis of results of eight years ago. There has been no trial run of disposal of waste transported to Pithampur now. In the wake of public apprehensions, a trial run should be conducted again, they say.
.Govt attributed public resentment in Pithampur to “misleading” media reports on the environmental impact of disposal of the waste. The HC said the media should restrain itself from publishing or showing “unverified or fake” news in the matter.The next hearing has been set for Feb 18.
