Union home minister P Chidambaram, who is heading a Group of Ministers (GoM) on Bhopal gas disaster, said here on Tuesday the group will meet on June 8 decide on the remediation of 390 metric tonnes of toxic waste lying in closed entity of Union Carbide India Limited (now represented by Dow Chemical Company) in Bhopal. This would be followed by the submission of its report to the Supreme Court.
“An offer came from a firm partially owned by the German government. We will negotiate with the company for disposal of toxic waste. The issue is not just how to dispose the waste but to find a place where it has to be incinerated has to be decided.
We will take a decision in this regard and shall convey the decision to the Supreme Court”, Chidambaram said here.
He denied allegations that his government was delaying the decisions to be taken. “There was a court order to incinerate the waste at a site at Ankleshwar in Gujarat but the state government objected to it. Later a site at Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh was decided for the same but the state government opposed it due to local protests. Another order came to dispose the toxic waste in Maharashtra but Maharashtra government also opposed,” Chidambaram clarified. He said his government made all possible efforts to dispose it off but the the respective state governments also had issues.
On ensuring medical and rehabilitation facilities, as Bhopal Memorial Hospital has become defunct, he said Union Health Ministry will take over the hospital and the June 8 meeting of the GoM would finalise the fast track recruitment process for resident doctors and other medical staff. “I assure you it would be the best hospital for medical and rehabilitation facility,” said the minister.
On the government’s neglect to ensure drinking water supply in gas affected areas, the Union Minister said, “Please do not blame us, this is the responsibility of the Madhya Pradesh government. We have offered support to the government and whenever they demand we will help them.”
Chidambaram also said he had no idea about what steps India has taken to extradite Warren Anderson, who was declared “Absconding” by a Bhopal Court in the infamous Union Carbide case. Warren Anderson was then chairman of Carbide Corporation when poisonous gas methyl isocyanides leaked from its Bhopal plant on December 2, 1984 and claimed thousands of lives and left several terminally ill.
“I am not aware of the latest. The US government has not responded to Government of India on his extradition.”
