Union Carbide Plant

lief and Rehabilitation Department) for contempt of court. The bench also demanded a compliance report along with a personal affidavit of the department's principal secretary before January 6, the next date of hearing.

The final disposal in Pithampur will happen nearly a decade after successful trial incineration of 10 tonnes of the toxic waste in August 2015, reportedly in a hush-hush manner, owing to opposition by the locals.

The trial run at the Pithampur TSDF in Dhar district—the only such state-of-the-art facility in Madhya Pradesh for incinerating hazardous and chemical waste—was carried out following a 2014 order of the Supreme Court, after efforts to scientifically dispose it of at facilities in Ankleshwar (Gujarat), Nagpur (Maharashtra), and even Hamburg (Germany) failed owing to opposition by local residents and groups.