New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to stay the disposal of Union Carbide plant waste in Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh, being carried out by the state authorities.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma noted that the petitioners had already made attempts seeking a stay before the Madhya Pradesh High Court and the Supreme Court.
The bench was of the view that the disposal of waste is being carried out under the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s supervision and various expert bodies are involved and the top court’s intervention is not needed.
The top court posted the matter to be heard in July, after the Court’s vacation.
The counsel appearing for the petitioner stated that after the vacations, 72 days will have passed and the entire waste would be incinerated. The bench, however, was not inclined to grant a stay.
The plea had been filed by one Chinmay Mishra against the MP High Court’s decision of December last year of having ordered swift disposal of the toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal by shifting it to Pithampur.
Mishras’ plea raised concerns about the health of Pithampur residents due to the disposal of chemical waste in the region. The petition stated that the people of Pithampur were not consulted while deciding to shift Union Carbide’s waste from Bhopal to Pithampur.
In February this year, the Supreme Court clarified that it would not intervene in the matter concerning the disposal of waste at the Union Carbide Plant as the Madhya Pradesh High Court is already monitoring it.
The top court had in February, also noted that the MP High Court has taken a serious view of the lethargic manner in which the state government has been handling waste disposal. The top court had further clarified that any grievances in the matter can very well be raised before the MP High Court.
Earlier, in December last year, the MP High Court ordered swift disposal of the toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal by shifting it to Pithampur in the state’s Dhar district.