Memorial for gas victims

Bhopal, Apr 15: The Madhya Pradesh government will build a Rs 100 crore memorial for the victims of the 1984 gas tragedy at the abandoned Union Carbide factory premises and also provide pure drinking water to the city's 13 gas affected localities.

Gas Relief Minister Babulal Gaur, who reviewed the department's working yesterday, said under the Rs 17 crore drinking water augmentation scheme, chalked out for gas-hit localities, water from Kolar dam would be supplied through pipelines.

It was targetted to supply 135 litres of water to each resident daily in 13 such localities having about one lakh population. Six major water tanks with 1,362 kilo litre capacity would be constructed under the scheme, he said.

The gas tragedy memorial, to be constructed by the Capital Project Administration, will have a museum along with library, hall and a garden. Allocation of Rs 10 crore had already been made for it in the current financial year.

While expressing his ''dissatisfaction'' over the arrangements in the hospitals run by the Gas Relief department, Mr Gaur directed the officials to bring in improvement urgently. Further complaints in this regard would not be tolerated, he added.

The meeting also discussed the disposal of chemical waste lying at the Union Carbide plant premises, official sources said.

UNI