The Madhya Pradesh High Court has instructed the state government to address worries regarding the disposal of 900 metric tonnes of toxic ash from the Union Carbide site in Pithampur. An NGO’s application questioning the safety of burying the toxic ash at the Pithampur facility prompted this directive. This issue stems from a Supreme Court order on March 16, urging the intervenor to seek a comprehensive evaluation of the toxic waste from the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
The High Court, comprising Justice Vivek Kumar Singh and Justice Ajay Kumar Nirankari, requested the state to respond to the concerns raised by the NGO. The toxic ash, which contains hazardous substances like mercury and heavy metals, has raised environmental and public health alarms. An expert affidavit by IIT professor Asif Qureshi highlighted the risks associated with burying these toxic elements in a landfill. In response to these apprehensions, the High Court had previously directed the state government to find an alternative disposal site away from human settlements, not at Pithampur.
Despite earlier directions to identify a different disposal location, the state government later sought permission to dispose of the toxic waste at the Pithampur facility. The court noted that a detailed plan for assessing and remediating the toxic waste at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) premises in Bhopal is yet to be submitted by the state government. The petitioner emphasized that under the “polluter pays” principle, Union Carbide Corporation and Dow Chemical should bear the cleanup costs.
The state government informed the court that it is working on a comprehensive plan for evaluating and remediating the contaminated soil and groundwater around the UCIL site. A meeting held on March 3, 2026, discussed identifying suitable agencies for this task. The next hearing on this matter is scheduled for June 22.
