Amid rising opposition to the incineration of Bhopal gas tragedy waste in Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav said on Saturday the state govt will take the people’s concerns to court, and no action will be carried out until further court orders.
CM Yadav said he is aware of people’s sentiments on the matter and believes it’s important to address them transparently. The waste was transported to Pithampur (near Indore) on court orders, he said. “If any security concerns or fear arise among the public, the state govt will present it before the court. No further action will be taken until the court provides clear directions. The govt is committed to complying with court orders and will proceed only as per its instructions,” the CM said.
On Friday, violence broke out as protesters clashed with police in the industrial township near Indore. Two of the protesters tried to immolate themselves and are in hospital with burns. Taken aback by the protests, MP govt said Saturday it would request HC for more time to dispose of waste from the 1984 tragedy.
State chief secretary Anurag Jain Saturday said govt will present an affidavit in HC to apprise it of public sentiments and seek more time. Further action on waste disposal will not be taken without taking the public into confidence, Jain said in Bhopal. He said everything has been done according to SC guidelines.
“The waste has only been transported so far. No immediate decision has been taken to burn it,” Jain said, adding: “After discussing all the points related to this, when it emerges that the situation is completely under control, only then the waste will be disposed of.”
Protests by Pithampur citizens continued for the second day Saturday. At least 80 industries were forced to shut operations as workers, apprehensive about their safety amid escalating unrest in the industrial township, did not report for duty. This resulted in significant production losses in the state’s largest industrial hub.
Gautam Kothari, president of Pithampur Audhyogik Sanghatan, said, “This situation could have been averted if govt had established proper communication channels with residents. There were no assurances or dialogue with locals, leading to this mismanaged situation.”
“Not a single worker reported to work Saturday. Since we are in the same sector as the waste disposal plant, the situation in this vicinity is extremely tense. Our production losses are mounting,” said Jitesh Agrawal, MD of a bag manufacturing firm in Pithampur.
