Disposal of the first batch of 10 tons of Union Carbide waste associated with the 1984 Bhopal tragedy at the Pithampur facility in Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh. | Photo credit: PTI
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday (March 13, 2026) directed the state government to submit a plan within five weeks for the assessment and remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater at the defunct Union Carbide factory, the epicenter of the 1984 gas tragedy in Bhopal.
The directions were issued by divisional judges Vivek Kumar Singh and Ajay Kumar Nirankari in Jabalpur while hearing a number of petitions seeking disposal of contaminated land and better water supply in areas where groundwater is contaminated.
In an action taken report submitted by the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department, the government told the court that a meeting chaired by Additional Chief Secretary Ashok Barnwal was held on March 3 to discuss time-bound remediation of the Union Carbide India Ltd factory.
Detoxification and decontamination of the UCIL plant structure at the site was also discussed, the government said.
“A decision has been taken to initiate the process and call for short tender for the above works,” it said, adding that the tender will be called only for companies involved with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Rachna Dhingra, one of the movers of the Bhopal Information and Action Group, told The Hindu that the court had asked the government authorities to submit the plan within five weeks. “Though we have pleaded that the court direct the government to resolve the issue in a time-bound manner. However, the bench has only sought an assessment and a plan so far,” she said.
The court listed the case for April 13.
In 2025, about 358 tonnes of toxic chemical waste from the Union Carbide factory was incinerated at a private waste treatment facility in Pithampur’s Dhar district, even as local residents protested the move.
The Bhopal gas tragedy on the night of 2/3 December 1984 killed 5,479 people after a highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas leaked from a Union Carbide unit. Government estimates say the tragedy has also caused serious health consequences and disabilities for more than five million people over the years.
Published – 14 March 2026 09:48 IST
