Bhopal gas tragedy: Supreme Court defers its order on toxic waste

New Delhi, May 11 (PTI) The Supreme Court of India today put on hold an order it had passed on April 4, 2012 directing disposal of toxic wastes lying in the Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) plant, now represented by DOW Chemical Company, in Bhopal at the Pithampur waste treatment storage and disposal facility (TSDF) in Dhar district of the state of Madhya Pradesh. The apex court deferred the implementation in the wake of various issues raised by Madhya Pradesh state government and some NGOs about the "possible fall-out of the trial run" for the disposal of UCIL wastes and the fact that the "Group of Minister (GoM) considering the issue is yet to take a final decision". "We do not want that a single life should be affected," a bench comprising justices G S Singhvi and S J Mukhopadhayay said while stressing that "waste disposal has to be carried out without harming any individual". The bench indicated if the GoM comes out with a decision, preferably within two weeks, the matter could be heard during the vacation and a request could be made to the Chief Justice of India for constituting a bench to hear it. The court noted that despite the suffering of the people for the last 28 years, the Centre and the state government have failed to arrive at the modalities for disposal of the toxic wastes lying at the erstwhile factory of UCIL. It also made clear that though there was a proposal for disposal and incineration of wastes at Pithampur facility, it would not like that any harmful effect arises in a new place with a village only half a km away from the facility. PTI