**Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): State Government Shows Little Interest in Post-Monsoon Groundwater Testing Following UCC Plant Cleanup**
Environmentalists have expressed concern over the state government’s apparent lack of interest in conducting groundwater testing at the end of the rainy season—marking the first monsoon after the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) plant cleanup in Bhopal.
In January 2025, approximately 350 metric tons of chemical waste from the UCC plant were transported to Pithampur for incineration as part of the cleanup efforts. Prior to this, multiple groundwater tests had been conducted around the plant site to assess water quality and monitor contamination levels.
Dr. SC Pandey, an environmentalist, commented, “Before the cleanup, multiple groundwater tests were conducted around the plant site to assess water quality. It is pathetic that the government is now uninterested in any tests that could build confidence and ease panic among gas tragedy survivors living nearby. This monsoon is the first after the cleanup, so the government should act in the interest of survivors.”
Echoing these concerns, environment engineer Sudhir Paliwal emphasized, “Groundwater testing is essential. Agencies like the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board must initiate tests to provide comparative results—both pre- and post-cleanup—and restore faith among residents.”
However, the response from the MP Pollution Control Board has been less encouraging. Regional officer Brijesh Sharma stated, “UCC chemicals were packed and stored on a three-foot-high platform, so they didn’t seep into the soil. The entire chemical waste was removed and incinerated in Pithampur. Therefore, there is no need for groundwater testing now.”
As the first monsoon season after the cleanup concludes, the debate over groundwater testing remains a critical issue for the survivors of the 1984 gas tragedy and local residents concerned about environmental safety.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/bhopal/government-ignores-groundwater-tests-after-ucc-clean-up-green-activists-raise-concern
