NGT asks govt to take urgent remedial action on Carbide waste

Bhopal: The National Green Tribunal (NGT), central zone bench, on Tuesday expressed dismay over the ‘indifference’ of authorities towards remediation of chemical waste in and around the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal and consequent contamination of surface and underground water in areas close to it.The green bench asked the principal secretary, environment, and member secretary, MP Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) to take remedial action urgently. The bench of judicial member Sheo Kumar Singh and expert member, Dr A Senthil Vel, in its order in a suo motu petition taken up by the tribunal said, “It is a known fact that the chemical waste where it is accumulated is creating leachate and further contaminating the surface water, underground water and in the rainy seasons by flowing to other places, and water of the river bodies are also being contaminated by this chemical waste. “The matter was not taken seriously by the authorities, the NGT said. “The director, gas relief and rehabilitation is sitting with the files and not assessing the harm to environment and the people residing there and to all those persons who are being affected by the underground water or surface water or water which is being used through rivers by the civilians,” it said.The bench further said "Accordingly, the actions are required to be taken immediately by higher authorities. It is to be noted that the Supreme Court has already constituted a committee to monitor all the things. “Thus, we direct the committee to further process the matter so that the persons residing there should not be seriously affected by 37 metric ton poisonous waste laying there,” it said.The tribunal said that in view of the technicality of the things, it requires the assistance of the following two persons:- expert nominated by director, CPCB, Bhopal, MP and Alok Saxena, scientist, MPPCB. NGT further said that immediate actions are required to be taken by the authorities concerned on shortage of the piped water, status of the nitrate concentrations exceeding the maximum permissible limits and remedial measures required to be taken. Status of chloride contamination in comparison to reports submitted in 2011 and the present study and the present status, sodium and potassium concentrations exceeding the WHO limits, iron concentrations exceeding the BIS permissible limit in 7 places, surrounding areas of the Carbide plant affected with partially manganese pollution. The case will now come up for hearing on July 9, 2024.