MP govt directed to begin removing chemicals from Carbide

Jabalpur, June 21 (UNI) The Madhya Pradesh High Court today directed the state government to speedily begin the work of removing tonnes of polluting poisonous chemicals from the premises of the now-closed Union Carbide factory from where methyl isocyanate leaked to cause the Bhopal gas tragedy, that killed thousands on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984.

While hearing a Public Interest litigation by the Bhopal Gas Rahat Morcha's Alok Pratap Singh, Chief Justice Anang Kumar Patnaik and Justice Ajit Singh set August 8 as the next date for hearing.

''The chemicals are causing several ailments among those residing in the factory's vicinity. The centre and state government should be directed to remove the chemicals,'' the petition said.

Last year, the court issued a directive for constituting a task force comprising central and state secretaries and five experts, drafting an action plan for removing the chemicals' sacks, bearing of half the cost involved by the Union Petroleum and Chemicals Ministry.

''The amounts have been deposited by the central and state governments. The responsibility of removing the chemicals has been bestowed on the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department,'' said the state Advocate-General Ravinandan Singh.

UNI