Madhya Pradesh: In response to the contentious burning of hazardous garbage connected to the Bhopal Gas Disaster at the Pithampur Industrial Area, residents of Pithampur staged a strong torch march.

At the march on Saturday night, hundreds of residents held signboards in their hands while chanting, “Bhopal ka kachra Pithampur me nahi jalega” (the garbage of Bhopal will not be disposed of in Pithampur).

According to Sailana MLA Kamleshwar Dodiyar, the demonstration represents knowledge, optimism, and solidarity.

“We want to give the message that the people of Pithampur are united and we will not let this garbage be incinerated here,” he said.

On the night of January 1, the poisonous waste materials from the Union Carbide production site in Bhopal were moved to Pithampur for safe disposal, forty years after the “Bhopal gas tragedy,” which is regarded as the greatest industrial disaster in the world.

On the intervening night of December 2 and 3, 1984, a lethal gas leak from the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide facility resulted in the Bhopal gas catastrophe, which killed thousands of people.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on January 6 that the state administration is dedicated to acting in accordance with the High Court’s directive regarding the situation.

The Chief Minister told ANI on Monday, “We moved the toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory site to Pithampur because it is the only facility where all kinds of chemicals with hazardous components are processed using scientific methods, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s and the High Court’s numerous orders.

As I previously said, we would need time from the court for all of these matters until we had the trust of everyone; we present our case before the High Court once again. I’m happy that the High Court has approved it and granted it a six-week period.”

“In the meantime, all the parties and if anyone else wants to keep their side, then they can present it before the court and the state government would follow the decision of the court,” the chief minister said.

According to petitioners’ attorney Naman Nagrath, the state administration requested six weeks to comply with the Dec. 3 ruling, and the High Court allowed the government that time.

“The next hearing into the matter is scheduled on February 18,” he said.