Union Carbide waste clean-up: HC seeks time-bound programme

JABALPUR: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has asked the Centre to furnish a time-bound action plan by May 12 for removing the toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory premises in Bhopal -- the site of catastrophic gas leak in December 1984.

"Somewhere, the suffering of people has been forgotten in the rigmarole of committees, sub-committees and the task forces," the division bench of Justices Sushil Harkauli and Prakash Shrivastava said yesterday.

"It is undoubtedly the responsibility of the Union government, particularly the environment, health and petro-chemicals ministries to get the toxic waste cleared or disposed at the earliest in a best suited manner."

The bench was hearing a PIL filed by Alok Pratap Singh with regard to the toxic waste lying at the site since the factory closed down.

The court said it would examine whether the erstwhile Union Carbide should be made liable for the reimbursement of expenditure for the clean-up.

Further, the court will also see if Dow Chemicals -- which bought Union Carbide -- can be treated as its successor in this matter.

But the issue of reimbursement must not come in the way of safe and proper disposal of toxic waste, the court said.

The next hearing would take place on May 12.