Toxic chemicals released in disposal of Union Carbide waste, allege activists

Highly toxic chemicals were released during the disposal of industrial waste of now-defunct Union Carbide by a private firm at Pithampur in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, NGOs alleged citing RTI replies.

Five organisations, working for the survivors of December 1984 gas disaster, on Thursday accused MP government of "ignoring the release of high levels of Dioxins and Furans from the Ramky waste incinerator during four trial runs conducted between July 2010 and June 2012 at Pithampur-based Treatment Storage Disposal Facility (TSDF)".

They have based this claim citing documents they have obtained under Right to Information (RTI) Act from state Gas Relief Department.

"As per these documents, the levels of Dioxins and Furans in Pithampur were 68 to 267 times higher than the permissible limit, the representatives said.

"According to WHO norms, even minute quantities of Dioxins cause cancer, disrupt hormones, damage reproductive system and lowers immunity", said Satinath Sarangi of 'Bhopal Group for Information and Action' and Balkrishna Namdeo of 'Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pension Bhogi Sangharsh Morcha'.

They were jointly addressing the press conference held here on Thursday.

The activists claimed that the Ramky waste treatment facility has violated Hazardous Waste Management Rules 1989, stipulated by CPCB.

"As per these rules, a waste treatment facility has to be at least 500 metres away from a human settlement whereas the Ramky incinerator is situated less than 200 metres away from Tarpura village", the activists said.

Efforts to reach Ayodhya Rami Reddy, chairman of Hyderabad-based Ramky Group and other senior officials for their comments, proved futile as mobile phones of the executives were not answered following searched by Income tax department on Thursday.

"The documents point out that village Tarpura had witnessed higher levels of pollutants from the incinerator", they alleged.