Say it would endanger people’s their lives and environment
Residents of village Ruikhairi near Nagpur have moved court against the proposal to burn the toxic waste from the Union carbide factory in Bhopal at the waste facility of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) near their homes.
In a public interest litigation (PIL) filed before the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on November 30, village sarpanch Sanjay Jiwane and deputy sarpanch Uttam Raut said the move would pose a danger to their lives and environment. The PIL alleged that no one either approached them or took their consent before taking the decision. Ruikhairi, it said, is just three or four kilometres from the DRDO facility.
The PIL also demanded that the respondents, state secretary of department of environment, Union Ministry of Defence, DRDO Butibori office, Maharashtra and Central Pollution Control Boards, should strictly follow the Environment (Protection) Act and the Hazardous Waste (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules of 2008 and the CPCB guidelines for hazardous waste incineration.
The petition challenged the use of the DRDO facility, saying that its design and layout have not been revealed either to the Centre or the state and is being operated in stark violation of several laws. It also condemned the pressure being put on the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Union environment ministry to “cooperate” in the transport of waste from Madhya Pradesh into Maharashtra in violation of environmental regulations.
Counsel Mukesh Samarth said the PIL is likely to be heard by the Nagpur bench on December 7, two days before the next hearing in the Jabalpur bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on the union carbide toxic waste case.
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