German firm dumps Bhopal waste deal
Public outcry in Germany stops disposal
Bhopal victims burn effigies of Dow Chemical executives in this file photo
- ucanews.com reporter, Bhopal
- India
- September 18, 2012
A German company has pulled out of a deal to dispose of toxic waste left at the now defunct Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, scene of the world’s worst industrial disaster 27 years ago.
GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation), which undertakes waste management among other tasks, had earlier offered to incinerate 350 metric tons of packaged chemical waste left at the plant, at a cost of US$ 4.5 million.
Under the terms of the offer, the GIZ had agreed to transport the waste to Germany and dispose of it there.
The waste has been lying at the plant in Bhopal, capital of Madhya Pradesh state, since the 1984 gas tragedy in which 5,295 people died immediately and more than 25,000 later, following an accidental methyl isocyanate leak.
Dow Chemical bought the Union Carbide plant in 2001 but has refused to dispose of the waste, prompting a petition in the Supreme Court.
Hoping the problem would be solved, the federal government in July gave GIZ permission to go ahead with the disposal after getting approval from the Supreme Court, which has yet to rule on who is responsible for the waste.
However, in a letter to federal finance minister P. Chidambaram yesterday, GIZ said it could not carry out the agreement, citing a public outcry in Germany.
"We have made an assessment of the situation in Germany and decided that it would be in the best interests for strong Indo-German cooperation not to pursue this project further," the letter said.
The state government has decided to take up the issue with the federal government to find an environmentally friendly solution.
“Since the matter of determining liability for the disposal of toxic waste is still pending in the Supreme Court, the state government can’t do anything unilaterally yet,” Babulal Gaur, state minister for gas relief and rehabilitation, told ucanews.com today.
He said that they would approach the federal government and draw up a viable strategy to dispose of the waste.
The petition demanding its safe disposal is due to be heard in the top court on October 15. This hearing will also establish who is responsible for the disposal.
Earlier, when the court had given its consent to dispose of the waste at an incinery at Pithampur on the outskirts of the state's business capital Indore, the residents took to the streets to protest against the decision.
However, GIZ voluntarily came forward to dispose of it.
Related reports
Government row over Bhopal waste
GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation), which undertakes waste management among other tasks, had earlier offered to incinerate 350 metric tons of packaged chemical waste left at the plant, at a cost of US$ 4.5 million.
Under the terms of the offer, the GIZ had agreed to transport the waste to Germany and dispose of it there.
The waste has been lying at the plant in Bhopal, capital of Madhya Pradesh state, since the 1984 gas tragedy in which 5,295 people died immediately and more than 25,000 later, following an accidental methyl isocyanate leak.
Dow Chemical bought the Union Carbide plant in 2001 but has refused to dispose of the waste, prompting a petition in the Supreme Court.
Hoping the problem would be solved, the federal government in July gave GIZ permission to go ahead with the disposal after getting approval from the Supreme Court, which has yet to rule on who is responsible for the waste.
However, in a letter to federal finance minister P. Chidambaram yesterday, GIZ said it could not carry out the agreement, citing a public outcry in Germany.
"We have made an assessment of the situation in Germany and decided that it would be in the best interests for strong Indo-German cooperation not to pursue this project further," the letter said.
The state government has decided to take up the issue with the federal government to find an environmentally friendly solution.
“Since the matter of determining liability for the disposal of toxic waste is still pending in the Supreme Court, the state government can’t do anything unilaterally yet,” Babulal Gaur, state minister for gas relief and rehabilitation, told ucanews.com today.
He said that they would approach the federal government and draw up a viable strategy to dispose of the waste.
The petition demanding its safe disposal is due to be heard in the top court on October 15. This hearing will also establish who is responsible for the disposal.
Earlier, when the court had given its consent to dispose of the waste at an incinery at Pithampur on the outskirts of the state's business capital Indore, the residents took to the streets to protest against the decision.
However, GIZ voluntarily came forward to dispose of it.
Related reports
Government row over Bhopal waste
