Bhopal gas leak: Cabinet approves disposal of waste in Germany

New Delhi, Jul 3: The government approved disposal of about 350 metric tonnes of Union Carbide

waste in Bhopal to

. The approval was given following recommendations from a Group of Ministers (GoM) on the

chaired by Home Minister PC Chidambaram, officials said.

According to the proposal, the Centre will pay Rs 25 crore towards the cost of airlifting the waste, to be carried out by German agency-GIZ IS. The waste is proposed to be removed within a year. About 346 MT toxic waste is lying within the premises of the erstwhile M/s Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) at Bhopal. The worst-ever industrial disaster had taken place at the Union Carbide plant on the intervening night of Dec 2-3, 1984.

According to government data, over Rs 3,000 crore has been given as compensation in 5,295 cases of death, 4,902 cases of permanent disability, 5,27,894 cases of minor injury and 35,455 cases related to temporary disability among others.

Earlier, in an interview to PTI, one of the firm's representatives here had said it would require over 4,000 special containers approved by the UN as well as trained experts for the job. "We need about 4,000-4,500 UN approved containers of 120 liters each. These containers would be purchased. All waste product will be carefully packed and sealed before shifting them to Germany," GIZ International Services' Regional Director for South Asia Hans-H Dube had said. However, he had said that a decision was yet to be made about where to dispose the hazardous waste.

PTI