NEW DELHI: The ministerial panel on the Bhopal gas tragedy decided to change the site for disposal of toxic waste from Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh following protests from local residents.
"The toxic waste from the Union Carbide Company will not be disposed of at Pithampur. The government of Madhya Pradesh and the Centre will hold discussion to decide on the alternative site," MP Urban development minister Babulal Gaur said.
He was briefing reporters on the meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on the Bhopal gas tragedy which is headed by home minister P Chidambaram.
The GoM reviewed the progress made by various ministries on its recommendations to the Union Cabinet three months ago.
Gaur said the GoM also decided to sanction additional compensation of Rs 72 crore for those who died in the tragedy but were left out from the list earlier.
The defunct Union Carbide factory has 347 metric tonnes of toxic waste which has to be disposed of.
In June, the Union Cabinet had accepted all the 22 recommendations of the GoM and decided to push for extradition of former Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson and ascertain the liability of Dow Chemicals besides announcing a Rs 1265.56 crore package for relief and remediation.
In August, the CBI had filed a curative petition before the Supreme Court seeking restoration of stringent charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, which attracts maximum punishment of ten-year jail term, against the accused in the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy case.
Besides Chidambaram, other members of the panel include law minister Veerappa Moily, health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, urban development minister S Jaipal Reddy, road transport minister Kamal Nath, poverty alleviation minister Kumari Selja, chemicals and fertilisers minister M K Alagiri, environment minister Jairam Ramesh and minister in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan. Gaur is also a member
"The toxic waste from the Union Carbide Company will not be disposed of at Pithampur. The government of Madhya Pradesh and the Centre will hold discussion to decide on the alternative site," MP Urban development minister Babulal Gaur said.
He was briefing reporters on the meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on the Bhopal gas tragedy which is headed by home minister P Chidambaram.
The GoM reviewed the progress made by various ministries on its recommendations to the Union Cabinet three months ago.
Gaur said the GoM also decided to sanction additional compensation of Rs 72 crore for those who died in the tragedy but were left out from the list earlier.
The defunct Union Carbide factory has 347 metric tonnes of toxic waste which has to be disposed of.
In June, the Union Cabinet had accepted all the 22 recommendations of the GoM and decided to push for extradition of former Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson and ascertain the liability of Dow Chemicals besides announcing a Rs 1265.56 crore package for relief and remediation.
In August, the CBI had filed a curative petition before the Supreme Court seeking restoration of stringent charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, which attracts maximum punishment of ten-year jail term, against the accused in the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy case.
Besides Chidambaram, other members of the panel include law minister Veerappa Moily, health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, urban development minister S Jaipal Reddy, road transport minister Kamal Nath, poverty alleviation minister Kumari Selja, chemicals and fertilisers minister M K Alagiri, environment minister Jairam Ramesh and minister in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan. Gaur is also a member
Toxic waste not to be dumped in Dhar. The group of ministers (GoM) on Bhopal gas disaster has vetoed the move to dump around 347 metric tonnes of toxic waste of the Union Carbide’s Bhopal plant at Pithampur-based Treatment Storage Disposal Facility (TSDF) in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. Bombay Economic Times, India. 28 September 2010.
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