Page 136 - CW E-Magazine (7-1-2025)
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PUSHED TO ACT
Toxic waste at Union Carbide factory to be shifted
for disposal
The work to remove 377-tonnes of The offi cial said initially some part
hazardous waste from the now-defunct of the waste will be burnt at the disposal
Union Carbide factory in Bhopal has got unit of Pithampur and the residue (ash)
underway ahead of its planned disposal will be scientifi cally examined to fi nd out
near Indore. whether any harmful element is left in it.
“If everything is found to be fi ne, then the
The development comes weeks after waste will be burnt to ashes within three
the Madhya Pradesh High Court chided months. Otherwise, the speed of burning
the authorities for not taking action from the factory, observing that even 40 will be slowed down and it might take up
despite repeated directions to clear the years after the gas disaster, the authorities to nine months,” Mr. Singh said.
site in the Madhya Pradesh capital. were in a “state of inertia” that may cause
“another tragedy”. The smoke emitted from the incine-
The highly toxic gas methyl isocya- rator will be passed through four-layer
nate leaked from the Union Carbide pesti- Describing it as a “sorry state of special fi lters so that the surrounding air
cides factory on the intervening night affairs”, the HC warned the government is not polluted and a record of this process
of December 2-3, 1984, killing 5,479 of contempt proceedings if its directive would be kept every moment, he said.
persons and leaving more than fi ve lakh was not followed.
others with health problems and long- Once the waste is incinerated and
term disabilities. “The waste of Bhopal gas tragedy is freed from harmful elements, the ash
a stigma which is going to disappear after will be covered with a two-layer strong
On December 29, half-a-dozen GPS- 40 years. We will dispose it by sending “membrane” and buried at the “landfi ll”
enabled trucks with specially reinforced it safely to Pithampur,” Mr. Swatantra to ensure it does not come in contact with
containers reached the factory site as part Kumar Singh, Director of the state’s Gas soil and water in any way, Mr. Singh said.
of the waste disposal process. The toxic Relief and Rehabilitation Department The waste would be destroyed by an ex-
waste will be moved to an incineration was quoted as saying in news agency re- pert team under the supervision of offi -
site in Pithampur near Indore, around ports. He said a “green corridor” of about cials from the Central Pollution Control
250-km from Bhopal. The MP High 250-km will be created by managing traf- Board and State Pollution Control Board
Court (HC) on December 3 set a four- fi c to transport the waste from Bhopal to and a detailed report would be submitted
week deadline to shift the toxic waste Pithampur in the shortest possible time. to the HC, he added.
Aether commissions entire 15-MW solar power
project in Gujarat
Surat-based speciality chemicals In June 2024, the company had facilities, signifi cantly reducing elec-
fi rm, Aether Industries Ltd. (AIL), has commissioned 5-MW capacity of the tricity expenses and contributing to the
announced that the entire 15-MW solar project located in Gujarat. company’s bottom line. In July 2023,
power project, featuring auto-tracker Aether had commissioned a 16-MW
modules has been fully commissioned The project under the Captive Power solar power project (fi xed modules)
as on December 30, 2024. Producer (CPP) segment was awarded to under the CPP segment.
KPIG Energia Pvt. Ltd., a wholly-owned
“The project is now operational and subsidiary of KPI Green Energy Ltd. The company said the projects
powering our manufacturing facilities,” represents its commitment to sustain-
the company said in a stock exchange The project aims to support the en- ability and utilisation of renewable
statement. ergy needs of Aether’s manufacturing energy for its operations.
136 Chemical Weekly January 7, 2025
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