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After GoM nod, waste disposal plea reaches SC
The decision by a Central Group of Ministers to allow the Madhya Pradesh Government to have its way on disposal of 350 tonne of toxic waste from Union Carbide in Germany will be put to final test in Supreme Court on Monday.
The sharp differences between the Centre and State Government on the issue of waste disposal - considered so vital to the health of gas victims and the people of Bhopal alike - forced the SC Court to intervene and direct them to show sensitivity to the victims, cries lingering for 28 years.
The GoM, which met on May 21, gave the Madhya Pradesh Government the go-ahead to get a detailed proposal from the German firm within two weeks, following which the GoM would take a final call on the Madhya Pradesh’s proposal on June 8.
In arriving at its decision, the Madhya Pradesh Government would be free to consult Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Environment & Forests Ministry. An affidavit in this regard has been filed in Supreme Court by the Centre.
Given the toxicity of the MIC waste at the Union Carbide site, the MP Government held talks with a German firm GIZ, which agreed to incinerate the waste under controlled conditions in Germany. This is expected to be an expensive affair, which the State Government is willing to take up.
But the GoM headed by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and comprising HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, Urban Development Kamal Nath, Law Minister Salman Khurshid, Housing Minister Kumari Selja and Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, shot down the proposal and instead approved the Central plan to incinerate the waste at Pithampur plant at Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh.
Owing to the high risk involved, the State Government had appealed to Supreme Court to allow waste disposal in Germany.
On being confronted on this issue on May 11, a Bench of Justices GS Singhvi and SJ Mukhopadhaya put the Centre’s plan on hold and asked the GoM to take a comprehensive view on Madhya Pradesh Government’s suggestion.
The decision by a Central Group of Ministers to allow the Madhya Pradesh Government to have its way on disposal of 350 tonne of toxic waste from Union Carbide in Germany will be put to final test in Supreme Court on Monday.
The sharp differences between the Centre and State Government on the issue of waste disposal - considered so vital to the health of gas victims and the people of Bhopal alike - forced the SC Court to intervene and direct them to show sensitivity to the victims, cries lingering for 28 years.
The GoM, which met on May 21, gave the Madhya Pradesh Government the go-ahead to get a detailed proposal from the German firm within two weeks, following which the GoM would take a final call on the Madhya Pradesh’s proposal on June 8.
In arriving at its decision, the Madhya Pradesh Government would be free to consult Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Environment & Forests Ministry. An affidavit in this regard has been filed in Supreme Court by the Centre.
Given the toxicity of the MIC waste at the Union Carbide site, the MP Government held talks with a German firm GIZ, which agreed to incinerate the waste under controlled conditions in Germany. This is expected to be an expensive affair, which the State Government is willing to take up.
But the GoM headed by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and comprising HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, Urban Development Kamal Nath, Law Minister Salman Khurshid, Housing Minister Kumari Selja and Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, shot down the proposal and instead approved the Central plan to incinerate the waste at Pithampur plant at Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh.
Owing to the high risk involved, the State Government had appealed to Supreme Court to allow waste disposal in Germany.
On being confronted on this issue on May 11, a Bench of Justices GS Singhvi and SJ Mukhopadhaya put the Centre’s plan on hold and asked the GoM to take a comprehensive view on Madhya Pradesh Government’s suggestion.
