Demand Mounts for Bhopal Industrial Waste to Be Returned to the U.S.

Organizations supporting Bhopal Gas Tragedy survivors demand that 337-tonne waste from Union Carbide should be disposed in the U.S. rather than incinerated in India, due to pollution concerns. Protests emphasize inequities in U.S.-India deportation policies. Critics cite numerous violations at Pithampur facility and potential groundwater contamination.

Four organizations advocating for Bhopal Gas Tragedy survivors have urged the Indian government to return 337-tonne of hazardous waste from the defunct Union Carbide factory to the U.S., instead of incinerating it in Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh. Dow Chemicals now owns the Union Carbide facility.

Protesters argue that incinerating the waste in Pithampur could cause severe environmental damage. The incineration facility is said to have violated numerous aspects of the Water Protection Act, with excessive diesel usage and hazardous ash production among the key concerns cited by the activists.

Leaders such as Rashida Bee and Balkrishna Namdeo emphasize the risk of toxic contamination, urging the government to consider sending the waste to the U.S., mirroring past legal precedents. The movement also critiques the U.S. for deporting Indian immigrants while failing to take responsibility for industrial waste.