Bhopal:

In December 2024, the high court had ordered disposal of waste from Union Carbide factory in Bhopal by shifting it to Pithampur in Dhar district.

The Supreme Court on Thursday clarified that it will not interfere with the Madhya Pradesh High Court's order for disposal of toxic waste at Union Carbide plant.

"The Madhya Pradesh High Court has heard the side of the petitioners. Supreme Court will not hear this case because the high court is monitoring it properly. We do not see any reason to interfere in this controversial order," the apex court stated in its order.

A bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih heard the case and refused to interfere with the high court's order.

Organisations working for the victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy argued that the poisonous nature of the gases has not been taken under consideration. They have also suggested other measures for waste disposal. On this, the apex court advised them to place their suggestions before the Madhya Pradesh High Court and the state government.

Advocate Devadatt Kamat said, "The high court has constituted a task force of 15 technical experts to consider the waste disposal issue. Two tests were conducted in 2013 and 2015 after the order of the Supreme Court, which were successful."

Earlier after the high court's order, the administration made preparations to start burning portions of Union Carbide's toxic waste amid tight security at the waste management company of Ramki Group in Pithampur Sector 2.

According to the high court's order, a trial run of burning the waste of the Bhopal gas tragedy is to be conducted on February 27 at the plant located in Pithampur. Thirty metric tonnes of waste is to be disposed in three phases of 10 metric tonnes each. The second trial run will start from March 4 and the third from March 12.

Meanwhile, local people had protested for four days against the decision to burn the toxic waste saying it would make the atmosphere poisonous. Two protesters even attempted self-immolation.

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