Bhopal’s Final Flame

ON a quiet night late last month, as most of the country slept, a final plume of smoke curled up from the high-temperature incinerator at Pithampur’s hazardous waste facility, about 250 km from Bhopal.

Inside, the last kilograms of toxic residue from Bhopal’s ill-fated Union Carbide plant were being reduced to ash — bringing to a symbolic end the longest-running shadow of the 1984 gas tragedy, one of the world’s worst industrial disasters. Over 3,000 people died within a short span when highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the company’s pesticide factory on the intervening night of December 2 and 3. Over 20,000 people, it is estimated, have died because of the lasting effects of the gas leak and the contamination. Thousands have suffered ailments.

The cleanup was not just a technical necessity, it was a moral imperative. For years, survivors and activists had pleaded for action, citing the threat posed by the abandoned toxic remnants — contaminated soil, pesticide sludge, and packaging material — that lay inside the shuttered factory.

Scientific studies, including those by pollution control boards, confirmed the waste’s contribution to groundwater contamination.

Since 1984, multiple legal cases had been filed in Indian and US courts — ranging from compensation claims to petitions for safe disposal of the chemical waste. The first formal plea for removal was filed in the Madhya Pradesh High Court in August 2004. But delays — bureaucratic and political — meant the toxic stockpile remained untouched for 40 years.

In December 2024, just ahead of the tragedy’s 40th anniversary, the MP High Court issued a sharp directive: act “within weeks, not years”. Justice Anand Paliwal called it “an environmental emergency masked by apathy”. The Supreme Court had issued a similar order as early as 2012. Yet, it took another 13 years for real action to begin.

For residents like 60-year-old Rukmini Devi, who lost her husband on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, the waste represented a wound left open. “They told us the chemicals would be cleaned. We waited. We marched,” she said.

Finally, adhering to the court orders, the administration moved muscle, completely unaware of the fact that it was not just any waste but ashes of India’s worst industrial tragedy which none would want in their backyard.

When Pithampur backfired

On January 1, 2025, a convoy of 12 trucks moved out of Bhopal under heavy police escort, carrying 337 tonnes of hazardous waste. The operation was conducted discreetly at night, along a “green corridor” cleared by judicial orders.

The waste was headed to a Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) in the industrial town of Pithampur. But, as news of the arrival spread, unrest erupted. Angered by the perceived secrecy and risk to public health, residents called for an immediate bandh. Roads were blocked, and tensions escalated when two men — Raj Patel and Rajkumar Raghuvanshi — attempted self-immolation. They were hospitalised with burn injuries. Crowds of hundreds, including women and children, marched to the gates of the Ramky Enviro plant, where the incineration was to be carried out. The police used lathis, tear gas and eventually water cannons to disperse demonstrators.

Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS were imposed, banning gatherings near the facility. FIRs were filed, including for stone-pelting. Ultimately, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had to step in and temporarily halt the incineration, assuring the public that the operation would follow the strictest safety protocols.

The High Court later granted the state six weeks to submit compliance reports and carry out community outreach. Once all the parameters were fulfilled, a final go-ahead was received from the government and the trial incineration of 10 tonnes of hazardous waste began on February 28.

Disposal Operation

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) outlined a detailed plan for the incineration, starting with a 90-kg test batch. The trial started with a blank or dry run of the incinerator having two chambers, one reaching 850 and the other 1,150 degrees Celsius. The dry run lasted over 12 hours and it was a successful attempt.

The main disposal exercise began on the night of May 5 and continued until 1 am on June 30. Over five months, 337 tonnes of toxic waste were incinerated at controlled combustion rates under close monitoring.

Temperatures inside the incinerator exceeded 1,100°C, ensuring a complete breakdown of hazardous substances. Online sensors tracked emissions in real-time — monitoring mercury, carbon dioxide, and volatile organic compounds.

The ash — approximately 850 tonnes — was sealed in leak-proof containers and is now awaiting secure landfilling. “We didn’t want another disaster while erasing the last one,” said a senior Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) official.

Environmental Guidelines

The entire operation was conducted under CPCB’s TSDF guidelines and India’s Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016. A hazardous waste expert called it a “model cleanup” — technically flawless but acknowledged that “environmental justice isn’t just about numbers”.

According to MPPCB, the incinerated waste included pesticide residues, reactor sludge, and contaminated soil. Tests confirmed negligible traces of Sevin and naphthol, and no detectable presence of methyl isocyanate or radioactive elements.

Real-time monitoring and third-party validation confirmed that emissions, including sulphur dioxide, mercury, nitrogen oxides, cadmium, and other heavy metals, remained within permissible limits.

Yet, the scars run deep. Protests continued in local pockets of Pithampur, where trust was in short supply. Meanwhile, environmentalists have demanded regular groundwater testing and health surveillance in both Bhopal and Pithampur.

For Bhopal, the flame that burned at Pithampur wasn’t just about destroying waste. It was about acknowledging a tragedy that the nation tried to forget, and about offering a sliver of justice — delayed, incomplete, but perhaps finally.

Timeline carved in pain

— Dec 2-3, 1984: Methyl isocyanate gas leaks, killing 3,000 immediately; over 20,000 eventually perish.

— 1989: Union Carbide pays $470 million in a settlement; no further liability admitted.

— 2001: Dow Chemical acquires Union Carbide but denies legal responsibility.

— 2004-2012: Legal battles intensify over cleanup of stored waste.

— 2012: SC orders removal of waste; action stalls.

— Dec 2024: MP High Court mandates full disposal.

— Jan-June, 2025: 337 tonnes of waste incinerated at Pithampur.

— July 31: Scheduled judicial review of post-disposal safeguards.

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