New Delhi: A German firm has refused to remove 350 tonnes of
toxic waste from Bhopal gas disaster site for disposal in Germany,
claiming the soil was contaminated with insecticides and that the waste
was not related to the world's worst industrial accident. The refusal
may come as a blow to efforts of the Centre and Madhya Pradesh
Government to clear off the toxic waste. A Group of Ministers (GoM) had
in June this year approved removal of toxic waste, at the cost of Rs. 25 crore, by German agency-GIZ IS.
The German company claimed in a statement that there are 350 tonnes of soil contaminated with insecticides. "This is not hazardous waste related to the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy. GIZ has decades of experience in the safe and responsible disposal of hazardous waste. "Over the past 20 years, GIZ has taken on more than two dozen similar works in developing and emerging countries and disposed of hazardous chemicals in a way that was safe to humans and the environment," it said.
After three months of contract negotiations between the Indian Government and GIZ for the disposal of 350 tonnes of soil contaminated with pesticides from Bhopal, GIZ withdrew its waste disposal offer (on Monday), the statement said. Negotiations between the Centre and the German company collapsed after the latter backed out following an uproar from the civil society in Germany.
"This uncertainty extended to the German public. Hazardous waste
disposal through GIZ is no longer an option, "the company said in a
statement.
The firm has written a letter to Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who heads the GoM, to inform him about its decision. However, no agreement was signed between the Indian Government and GIZ for removal of the waste.
About 346 MT toxic waste is lying within the premises of the erstwhile M/s Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) at Bhopal. The worst-ever industrial disaster had taken place at the Union Carbide plant on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984.
According to government data, over Rs. 3,000 crore has been given as compensation in 5,295 cases of death, 4,902 cases of permanent disability, 5,27,894 cases of minor injury and 35,455 cases related to temporary disability due to the tragedy among others.
Other members of the GoM includes Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath, Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, Law Minister Salman Khurshid, Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal and Madhya Pradesh Government Gas Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Babulal Gaur.
Meanwhile, a Supreme Court appointed monitoring and advisory committee at a meeting in Bhopal this evening decided to take advice from technical experts on the safe disposal of toxic waste.
"We will take advice from technical experts to see possibility of disposing of the waste in different facilities available within the country. At present, there are 27 sites within the country for safe disposal of the toxic waste," a state government official, who attended the meeting, said.
He said the waste is likely to be treated in the country.
"Based on the experts' advice, the concerned state government will be consulted," the official said.
The German company claimed in a statement that there are 350 tonnes of soil contaminated with insecticides. "This is not hazardous waste related to the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy. GIZ has decades of experience in the safe and responsible disposal of hazardous waste. "Over the past 20 years, GIZ has taken on more than two dozen similar works in developing and emerging countries and disposed of hazardous chemicals in a way that was safe to humans and the environment," it said.
After three months of contract negotiations between the Indian Government and GIZ for the disposal of 350 tonnes of soil contaminated with pesticides from Bhopal, GIZ withdrew its waste disposal offer (on Monday), the statement said. Negotiations between the Centre and the German company collapsed after the latter backed out following an uproar from the civil society in Germany.
"This uncertainty extended to the German public. Hazardous waste
disposal through GIZ is no longer an option, "the company said in a
statement. The firm has written a letter to Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who heads the GoM, to inform him about its decision. However, no agreement was signed between the Indian Government and GIZ for removal of the waste.
About 346 MT toxic waste is lying within the premises of the erstwhile M/s Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) at Bhopal. The worst-ever industrial disaster had taken place at the Union Carbide plant on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984.
According to government data, over Rs. 3,000 crore has been given as compensation in 5,295 cases of death, 4,902 cases of permanent disability, 5,27,894 cases of minor injury and 35,455 cases related to temporary disability due to the tragedy among others.
Other members of the GoM includes Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath, Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, Law Minister Salman Khurshid, Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal and Madhya Pradesh Government Gas Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Babulal Gaur.
Meanwhile, a Supreme Court appointed monitoring and advisory committee at a meeting in Bhopal this evening decided to take advice from technical experts on the safe disposal of toxic waste.
"We will take advice from technical experts to see possibility of disposing of the waste in different facilities available within the country. At present, there are 27 sites within the country for safe disposal of the toxic waste," a state government official, who attended the meeting, said.
He said the waste is likely to be treated in the country.
"Based on the experts' advice, the concerned state government will be consulted," the official said.
