New Delhi, Jan 2 (EFE).- Indian authorities have begun to transfer 337 tons of toxic waste from the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy to a disposal plant, amidst strict security measures to avoid another chemical disaster like the one that caused thousands of deaths in this city four decades ago.
(FILE) Indian children with congenital disabilities that are believed were caused by the exposure of their parents to gas leakage during the Union Carbide gas leak disaster, along with their relatives and supporters, take part in a candle light vigil to pay homage to the people killed in the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy to mark the 36th anniversary of the disaster, in Bhopal, India, 01 December 2020. EFE-EPA/SANJEEV GUPTA
The waste left on Wednesday night, stored in trucks, from Bhopal, where a gas leak in a pesticide factory caused one of the worst industrial catastrophes in history 40 years ago, claiming 5,295 deaths according to data from the Indian government.
(FILE) Supporters and surviving victims of the 1984 gas tragedy carry banners and placards during a protest on the 36th anniversary of the Union Carbide gas leak in Bhopal, India, 03 December 2020. EFE-EPA/SANJEEV GUPTA
The tragedy took place after midnight on Dec. 2, 1984, when a leak of some 40 tons of methyl isocyanate gas from the American pesticide company Union Carbide enveloped the city in a cloud of toxic gas.
Despite the official figures, victims’ associations say it caused 25,000 deaths.
Four decades later, the waste is being shifted in sealed bags inside 12 large containers, which are being escorted by dozens of police vans, ambulances and fire trucks to prevent incidents along the way, local newspaper Indian Express reported.
The convoy is heading to the city of Pithampur – also in the central Madhya Pradesh state -, located almost 200 kilometers (124 miles) from Bhopal.
Once it reaches the disposal plant, the waste will be mixed with reagents and stored in small bags until incineration, which is expected to begin in almost three months.
In total, the process could take 180 days, taking into account strict precautions to avoid a new environmental catastrophe.
This transfer is in response to an order issued on Dec. 3 by the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, which gave the authorities a period of four weeks to begin the process, after several delays.
However, its start has sparked protests from activists, who fear that the transfer of the waste or its incorrect handling or disposal could cause new damage.
The waste had so far remained in the now abandoned Union Carbide factory.
The firm was bought in 1999 by Dow Chemical, which merged again with another company in the chemical sector, DuPont, in 2015, giving rise to DowDuPont, which refuses to accept any responsibility for the contamination that still affects the soil and groundwater of Bhopal. EFE
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