"Following court's directions," says official on incineration of Bhopal's Union Carbide toxic waste

Dhar (Madhya Pradesh) [India], February 27 (ANI): After the Supreme Court refused to interfere in Madhya Pradesh High Court order on Bhopal's Union Carbide plant toxic waste disposal on Thursday, the district administration said that the concerned departments are following the court's directions regarding disposal and are taking action as per protocol.
"Regarding the disposal of Bhopal's Union Carbide plant toxic waste at a factory located in Pithampur, all the concerned departments which include MPPCB (Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board), CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board), third parties etc are following the court's directions and taking action as per protocol," said Pramod Gurjar, SDM (Sub Divisional Magistrate), Pithampur.
Meanwhile, reacting to the top court's direction, Divisional Commissioner Indore, Deepak Singh said that the court ordered the petitioners to present their side at the MP High Court in Jabalpur itself and it has ordered to start the incineration of the waste.

"The Supreme Court has ordered the petitioners to present their side at the High Court in Jabalpur itself. The High Court has already ordered to begin the process of incineration of the waste. Today, in Pithampur, the process of incineration will start. First the containers will be vacated and after that it may take an additional day to prepare it for incineration," Singh told ANI.
The Supreme Court on Thursday clarified that it will not intervene in the matter concerning the disposal of waste at the Union Carbide Plant as the Madhya Pradesh High Court is already monitoring it.
A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Augustine George Masih noted that the MP High Court has taken a serious view of the lethargic manner in which the state government has been handling waste disposal.
"The High Court is monitoring the matter. In that view, we do not find any reason to interfere in the said impugned order," the Court said in its order.
The top court further clarified that any grievances in the matter can very well be raised before the MP High Court.
Earlier, in December last year, the MP High Court ordered swift disposal of the toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal by shifting it to Pithampur in the state's Dhar district.
Today, the Supreme Court also observed that the High Court had formed a Task Force Committee consisting of expert organizations such as the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Today, considering that expert bodies of high repute are dealing with the issue, the Court refused to interfere in the matter. (ANI)