Vishnukant Tiwari
BBC Hindi
BBC
Protests erupted after a dozen containers of toxic waste arrived for disposal at a local factory in Pithampur.
Vegetable seller Shivnarayan Dasana had never seen so many police descend on his village in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
The 60-year-old lives in Tarapur, in the industrial town of Pithampur, known for its automobile and pharmaceutical factories. The city has been under tension since containers containing 337 tonnes of toxic waste from the site of one of the world’s worst industrial disasters arrived for disposal three weeks ago.
The waste, transported from the now-defunct Union Carbide factory in the city of Bhopal – site of the 1984 gas tragedy that killed thousands – has sparked fears among residents.
They fear that disposing of it near their homes could be harmful and even cause an environmental disaster.
Protests broke out on January 3, a day after the waste arrived in the city, degenerating into stone throwing and attempted self-immolation.
Since then, heavy police patrols near the storage center have transformed Tarapur and its surroundings into a veritable garrison.
Police have registered seven complaints against 100 people since the protests began, but residents continue to raise concerns about industrial pollution at small community meetings.
Pithampur’s land and water are already contaminated due to rapid industrialization
The toxic waste discharged from the Bhopal factory included five types of hazardous materials, including pesticide residue and “forever chemicals” left behind from its manufacturing process. These chemicals are so named because they retain their toxic properties indefinitely.
Over the decades, these chemicals seeped into the environment, creating a health risk for people living around the Bhopal factory.
But officials dismiss fears that waste disposal could cause environmental problems in Pithampur.
Senior Swatantra official Kumar Singh outlined the staged process to try to reassure the public.
“Hazardous waste will be incinerated at 1,200°C (2,192°F), with test batches of 90 kg (194.4 lb) followed by batches of 270 kg over three months if toxicity levels are safe,” a he declared.
Mr. Singh explained that “four-layer filtration will purify the smoke”, which will prevent toxins from entering the air and that the residue from incineration will be “sealed in a two-layer membrane” and “buried in a specialized landfill” to prevent dirt and groundwater contamination.
“We have trained 100 ‘master trainers’ and are conducting sessions to explain the process of elimination and build public confidence,” said administrator Priyank Mishra.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also defended waste disposal, calling it safe and necessary. He urged residents to voice their concerns legally, noting that the disposal was only carried out after a High Court order.
Environmental experts, however, have divergent views on the process.
Some, like Subhash C Pandey, believe that disposal is safe if done correctly. Others, like Shyamala Mani, are calling for alternatives to cremation. She argues that incineration increases residual slag and releases harmful toxins like mercury and dioxins.
Ms Mani suggests that bioremediation, a process using micro-organisms to break down harmful substances in waste, could be a more efficient and environmentally friendly solution.
But residents remain skeptical.
Pithampur residents protested against waste disposal
“It’s not just waste. It’s poison,” said Gayatri Tiwari, a mother of five from Tarapur village. “What is the point of life if we can’t breathe clean air or drink clean water?”
Pollution is an undeniable reality for the residents of Pithampur. Residents cite past groundwater contamination and ongoing health concerns as reasons for skepticism.
The city’s rapid industrial growth in the 1980s led to a buildup of hazardous waste and contamination of water and soil with mercury, arsenic, and sulfates. In 2017, the federal agency Central Pollution Control Bureau reported serious pollution in the region.
Residents say many businesses ignore rules for disposing of non-hazardous waste, choosing to dump it into the ground or water. Tests carried out in 2024 showed high levels of harmful substances in the water. Activists link this to alleged environmental violations at the disposal facility, but authorities have denied this.
“Water filters in our homes do not last two months. Skin diseases and kidney stones are now common. Pollution has made life unbearable,” said Pankaj Patel, 32, from Chirakhan village, pointing its water purifier which needs to be replaced frequently.
Srinivas Dwivedi, regional head of the National Pollution Control Board, dismissed the concerns, saying it was “unrealistic” to expect pre-industrial conditions in Pithampur.
Getty Images
Bhopal’s now-defunct Union Carbide factory, site of the 1984 gas tragedy
Meanwhile, in Bhopal, nearly 230 km from Pithampur, activists say the elimination process is distracting from much larger problems.
Since the disaster, toxic materials have remained in the mothballed plant for decades, polluting groundwater in surrounding areas.
More than 1.1 million tons of contaminated soil remain at the Union Carbide plant site, according to a 2010 report from the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute and the National Geophysical Research Institute.
“The government is pretending to get rid of 337 metric tons while ignoring the much bigger problem in Bhopal,” said Nityanand Jayaraman, a prominent environmentalist.
“The contamination has gotten worse over the years, and yet the government has done little to address it,” added Rachna Dhingra, another activist.
Government estimates indicate that 3,500 people died shortly after the gas leak, and more than 15,000 later. Activists say the toll is much higher, with victims still suffering from the side effects of the poisoning.
“Given Pithampur’s history of pollution, residents’ fears are well-founded,” Mr Jayaraman said.
Officials said they were “only dealing with waste as specified by the court directive.”
But the reality in Bhopal has increased distrust among the people of Pithampur, who are now ready to take to the streets again to oppose waste disposal.
Vegetable seller Shivnarayan Dasana said the problem went beyond the waste itself.
“It’s about our survival and that of our children,” he said.
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