“We will never take step that can put any person’s life at risk”: CM Mohan Yadav on protest in Pithampur

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], January 3 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav reacted on the ongoing protest in Pithampur over shifting of Bhopal gas tragedy site’s toxic waste for disposal on Friday stating that the state government would never take a step that could put any person’s life at risk.

He highlighted that the state government would perform the incineration of the hazardous waste shifted to Pithampur from Bhopal’s Union Carbide factory site only with the guidance of scientists.

“In our state, the government will never want any citizen to face any problem but the Supreme Court, High Court and the space which has been instructed by them to dispose of Union Carbide factory site’s waste, it is a factory and an appropriate place for such execution mentioned by the apex court. I appeal to people that we shouldn’t be influenced by fake rumours. The government will dispose of the waste only with the guidance of scientists with complete seriousness. We will never take a step that can put any person’s life at risk. So no one should get misunderstood and we have to be carefull,” CM Yadav told reporters in the state capital.

In order to comply with the directives given by the Supreme Court, they were moving forward in the same directions. The decision for incineration of waste has not been made yet. Only the waste has been shifted in Pithampur, he added.

“We are moving ahead under the guidance of scientists and the court. We should take care that everyone’s lives are valuable and no one should take any wrong step. Along with protecting everyone’s lives, we stand at the forefront of following all kinds of arrangements. I hope you all understand my point of view and I will urge everyone to avoid such things which spread false things,” the CM said.

“Various scientists, committees and different research institutes have given their reports (for disposal of hazardous waste). The Supreme Court and High Court have examined it and if any additional things come out from the society, it will be put before the court as well. But if anyone spreads false facts only for politics of votes, he condemned it and it should be avoided,” CM Yadav added.

A huge crowd of people staged a protest at Pithampur bus stand against the shifting of toxic waste materials from Bhopal Gas tragedy site for its disposal on Friday.

Earlier in the day, two people sustained burn injuries after some of the protestors attempted self-immolation during protests. The police present on the spot immediately sent them to the hospital.

One of the injured persons, Rajkumar Raghuvanshi told ANI, “I have done this (self immolation) against the toxic waste brought here.”

The crowds were staging the protest for their demand to send back the containers carrying the hazardous waste from Pithampur.

After four decades of a tragic incident, “Bhopal gas tragedy”- touted as the world’s worst industrial disaster, the toxic waste materials from the Bhopal’s Union Carbide factory site were transported to Pithampur for its safe disposal on the night of January 1.

The Bhopal gas tragedy had claimed the lives of several thousand people after deadly gas leaked from the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant on the intervening night of December 2 and 3, 1984.