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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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