Toxic waste from deadly spill fuels protests in India

Vegetable seller Shivnarayan Dassana had never seen so many police descend on his village in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

The 60-year-old lives in Tarapore In the industrial city of Pithampur, famous for its automobile and pharmaceutical factories. Tension has prevailed in the city since containers containing 337 tons of toxic waste arrived from the site of one of the worst industrial disasters in the world. I reached out to get rid of it Three weeks ago.

Waste transported from the now-defunct Union Carbide plant in Bhopal – site of the 1984 gas tragedy that killing Thousands – raising concerns among local residents.

They worry that disposing of it near their homes could be harmful and even cause an environmental disaster.

Protests broke out on January 3, a day after the garbage arrived in the town, and escalated into stone-throwing and attempted self-immolations.

Since then, intense police patrolling near the waste disposal facility has transformed Tarapur and its surrounding areas To a virtual garrison.

Police have registered seven cases against 100 people since the protests began, but town residents continue to raise concerns about industrial pollution at smaller community meetings.

The toxic waste cleared from the Bhopal plant included five types of hazardous materials – including pesticide residues and “forever chemicals” left over from the manufacturing process. These chemicals are so named because they retain their toxic properties indefinitely.

Over decades, these chemicals have leaked into the surrounding environment, creating a health risk for people living around the plant in Bhopal.

But officials dismiss concerns that waste disposal will cause environmental problems in Pithampur.

Senior official Swatantra Kumar Singh explained the staggered process in a bid to reassure the public.

“The hazardous waste will be incinerated at a temperature of 1,200 degrees Celsius, with 90 kg (194.4 lb) test batches followed by 270 kg batches over three months if toxicity levels are safe,” he said.

“A four-layer filter will purify the smoke,” which will prevent toxins from entering the air, and the cremation remains will be “sealed in a two-layer membrane” and “buried in a specialized landfill” to prevent soil and groundwater contamination, Mr. Singh explained.

“We have trained 100 senior trainers and are hosting sessions to explain the disposal process and build public confidence,” said official Priyank Mishra.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also defended waste disposal, calling it safe and necessary. He urged residents to express their concerns legally, noting that the disposal process took place only after orders were issued by the Supreme Court.

But environmental experts have different views on this process.

Some like Subhash C Pandey believe that the disposal process does not pose any risk if carried out properly. Others, like Shyamala Mani, are calling for alternatives to cremation. She argues that incineration increases residual slag and releases harmful toxins such as mercury and dioxins.

Ms. Mani points out that bioremediation, a process that uses microorganisms to break down harmful substances in waste, could be a more effective and environmentally friendly solution.

But residents remain skeptical.

“It's not just waste. It's poison,” said Gayatri Tiwari, a mother of five in Tarapur village. “What is the point of life if we cannot breathe clean air or drink clean water?”

Pollution is an undeniable reality for the people of Pithampur. Residents point to past groundwater contamination and ongoing health issues as reasons for doubts.

The city's rapid industrial growth in the 1980s led to the accumulation of hazardous waste and the contamination of water and soil with mercury, arsenic and sulphates. By 2017, the federal agency's Central Pollution Control Office reported severe pollution in the area.

Local residents claim that many companies do not follow the rules for disposing of non-hazardous waste, and choose to throw it into the soil or water. Tests in 2024 showed a rise in harmful substances in the water. Activists link this to alleged environmental violations at the waste disposal facility, but officials have denied this.

“The water filters in our homes do not last two months,” said Pankaj Patel, 32, from Sherakhan village, pointing to his water purifier, which needs frequent replacement. “Skin diseases and kidney stones are now common. Pollution has made life unbearable.”

Srinivas Dwivedi, regional officer of the State Pollution Control Board, dismissed the concerns, saying it was “unrealistic” to expect pre-industrial conditions in Pithampur.

Meanwhile, in Bhopal, about 230 kilometers (143 miles) from Pithampur, activists say the process of getting rid of antiquities is a distraction from much larger issues.

Since the disaster, toxic substances have remained in the frozen factory for decades, contaminating groundwater in the surrounding areas.

More than 1.1 million tons of contaminated soil remains at the Union Carbide plant site, according to a 2010 report by the National Institute of Environmental Engineering Research and the National Institute of Geophysical Research.

“The government is pretending to dispose of 337 metric tons while ignoring the much bigger problem in Bhopal,” said Nityanand Jayaraman, a prominent environmental activist.

Rachna Dhingra, another activist, added, “Pollution has worsened over the years, but the government has not done much to address it.”

The government estimates that 3,500 people died shortly after the gas leak, and that more than 15,000 died later. Activists claim that the number of victims is much higher, as victims are still suffering from the side effects of poisoning.

“Given the history of pollution in Pithampur, residents’ concerns are valid,” Jayaraman said.

Officials said they “only deal with waste as specified in the court directives.”

But the reality of Bhopal has deepened mistrust among residents of Pithampur, who are now ready to take to the streets again to oppose waste disposal.

Vegetable seller Shivnarayan Dassana said the issue goes beyond the waste itself.

“It's about survival, our survival and the survival of our children,” he said.

Follow BBC News India on Instagram, youtube, twitter and Facebook.