NGOs protest Tata's offer to clean up Carbide waste

Bhopal, Jan 3 (UNI) Four NGOs working among the survivors of Bhopal gas tragedy have opposed Tata group chairman Ratan Tata's offer to take initiative for cleaning up the chemical waste around the Union Carbide's pesticide plant, from where toxic gas leaked in 1984, saying moral responsibility for the cleaning lies with Dow Chemicals, with which Carbide was merged.

''Dow Chemicals could not escape from its moral responsibility'', said the leaders of the NGOs.

Bhopal Group for Information and Action leader Satinath Sarangi, while talking to reporters here today, alleged Mr Tata, as co-chairman of Indo-US CEO Forum, was attempting to protect the interests of Dow Chemicals which is keen to invest in India. He suggested that Tata should first clean up the waste around his facilities across the country. Mr Sarangi appealed the people to boycott Tata products.

In response to Dow Chemicals offer to invest in India, Mr Tata wrote to Planning Commission Deputy Chairman M S Ahluwalia in November last year volunteering to clean up chemical waste near Bhopal plant, from where several tonnes of toxic gas leaked causing death and injury to several thousand people.

UNI