After 40 years after the catastrophic event which claimed thousands of lives, the toxic waste from the Union Carbide plants finally began moving out of Bhopal on January 2th, 2025. Although workers at different factories in the industrial estate near Indore expressed concerns about their personal safety, trucks transporting hazardous waste from the 1984 gas tragedy started to leave the disused Union Carbide site in Bhopal on Wednesday night for a disposal plant in Pithampur, 230 kilometres away.
The Catastrophe
Methyl isocyanate (MIC), a chemical that leaked from Union Carbide India Ltd.’s (UCIL) pesticide facility, transformed the city of Bhopal into an enormous gas chamber on the evening of December 2th, 1984.
It was the first major industrial accident in India. Over 600,000 workers were adversely affected and over 15,000 individuals were killed by at least 30 tonnes of Methyl isocyanate gas. The Bhopal gas tragedy is regarded as the worst industrial disaster in the world.
The Response
A formal complaint was brought against and a number of Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) employees were arrested on December 3th, 1984. As the case escalated, it was passed over to the CBI just three days later and high-ranking officials—including Warren M. Anderson, the chairman of the Union Carbide Corporation, was arrested on December 7th but soon released on bail.
A few decades of legal efforts that sought to hold Union Carbide and its management liable for one of the most catastrophic industrial accidents in history came to a close in 2023 when the Supreme Court rejected the Center’s plea for better compensation. Despite the lengthy legal proceedings and settlement attempts, the pursuit of justice and appropriate compensation for the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy encountered multiple roadblocks throughout the decades, leading up to an outcome that left many people still seeking justice.
Toxic Waste Leaves the Site
A 200-meter radius around the site was sealed, all entry points were closed and more than 1,000 police officers were deployed for security as part of the effort to haul away 337 metric tonnes of toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory site in Bhopal—the scene of the 1984 disaster. The material is being transported to Pithampur in twelve specialised containers, each of which is carrying an average of 30 tonnes. Approximately 100 workers played a role in the operation with their shifts being limited to no more than 30 minutes to ensure their safety.
And while the police blocked traffic and roped off the surrounding area, folks on the edges could be heard remarking, “Bhopal’s garbage has finally left.”
