- Photo: A.M. Faruqui

FOR A CAUSE: Greenpeace activists demonstrating personal protective equipment at the entrance of the abandoned Union Carbide factory in Bhopal on Thursday.

BHOPAL: : Members of the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB) staged a demonstration before the Union Carbide plant here on Thursday demanding that internationally accepted hazardous chemical waste management protocols be deployed to clean up the toxic wastes in the plant.

The campaigners, at a kiosk at the entrance to the plant, demonstrated the use of personal protective equipment. They also displayed recent pictures of the procedures adopted by the State authorities, especially the Pollution Control Board, and the manner in which workers were exposed to the deadly toxic waste.

Cleaning up operation

Taking note of the official announcement that a Hyderabad based company would commence the cleaning up operation from June 12, the activists sent a clear message to the authorities concerned that only internationally accepted protocols for handling and containing the toxic waste would be acceptable.

The demonstrators pointed out that the Union Carbide site clean-up protocols, prepared by Greenpeace Science Unit, have been submitted to the State authorities.

Vinuta Gopal, Greenpeace Toxics campaigner, condemned the "inaction" on the part of the State Pollution Control Board. Workers continued to inhale toxic dust and handled poisonous chemicals with bare hands. The authorities were yet to share the protocols they would be following to contain the waste.

The kiosk had been set up at the gate of the plant to inform, monitor and bear witness to the containment process so that no further infringement takes place.

"A criminal act"

Rachna Dhingra of the ICJB said exposing those employed to handle the toxic waste with bare hands was a criminal act under sections 283 and 284 of the Indian Penal Code.

The ICJB on Thursday asked the Pollution Control Board and the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department of the State Government to ensure that the clean-up protocols were made public.

Evolve mechanism

It also wanted the Government to evolve a clear mechanism to recover the clean-up costs from Union Carbide.

The ICJB demanded that those employed in the containment process be trained properly and provided with personal protective equipment.

It also urged the authorities to allow independent experts, community representatives and NGOs to monitor the containment to ensure total transparency.

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