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Dhar: Two persons attempted self-immolation, flaring tensions in Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh on Friday as protests against the planned disposal of 337 tonnes of hazardous waste from Union Carbide continued. According to eyewitnesses, the two men, who were part of a demonstration organised by ' Pithampur Bachao Samiti ', poured flammable liquid on themselves and tried to ignite it, but their actions were swiftly thwarted by fellow protesters who intervened to extinguish the flames. ET Year-end Special Reads Stocks to buy in 2025: 66 ideas from top brokerages for your new year portfolio What does 2025 hold for India's IT services sector? 2025 may be the year of EVs in India, dominated by SUV launches The quick response of the crowd likely prevented a tragedy, and the men were subsequently shifted to a local hospital by public and police officers present at the scene.
The protests stem from concerns by people regarding the safety and environmental implications of relocating hazardous materials to the township, located approximately 30 kilometres from Indore. The situation is under control but tense, Dhar Superintendent of Police Manoj Singh told PTI over the phone from a protest site near Pithampur bus stand. The two men who attempted self-immolation were shifted from a local hospital to a private facility in Indore, where doctors confirmed they are out of danger, the SP informed.
Protests continued in several parts of the town through the day amid a bandh call given by Pithampur Bachao Samiti, with a mob marching to the industrial unit in which the waste is set to be incinerated, and another agitation that saw the participation of children. Pithampur has a population of about 1.75 lakh and its industrial area here has nearly 700 factories in three sectors.
In view of the tense situation in the town, District Collector Priyank Mishra and SP Singh released two separate videos asking people to maintain calm and to not take law in their hands, adding that the administration was ready to listen to their demands. Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrows Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Mastering C++ Fundamentals with Generative AI: A Hands-On By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Master in Python Language Quickly Using the ChatGPT Open AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Performance Marketing for eCommerce Brands By - Zafer Mukeri, Founder- Inara Marketers View Program Office Productivity Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance A2Z Of Money By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Marketing Modern Marketing Masterclass by Seth Godin By - Seth Godin, Former dot com Business Executive and Best Selling Author View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Strategy Succession Planning Masterclass By - Nigel Penny, Global Strategy Advisor: NSP Strategy Facilitation Ltd. View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.
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Dhar Additional Superintendent of Police Indrajeet Singh Bakarwal confirmed the presence of children in the protests. On the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal, killing at least 5,479 persons and leaving thousands with serious and long-lasting health issues in Bhopal. The authorities have shifted 337 tonnes of waste from the Carbide factory to Pithampur for scientific disposal, though the move has triggered protests.
The material from Bhopal reached an incineration unit in Pithampur on Thursday. During the protests, a group blocked the road near Eicher Motors , but police prevailed over them and restored normalcy after a mild cane charge. A mob of 500-600 persons marched to the Ramky Group's Industrial Waste Management Private Limited premises, where the waste is set to be incinerated, but police managed to disperse them in time.
Sandeep Raghuvanshi, who has been on a hunger strike at the bus stand since Thursday, said a large number of people have expressed solidarity with him over his protest against the disposal of the Union Carbide waste in Pithampur. The Madhya Pradesh High Court had on December 3 rebuked the authorities for not clearing the Union Carbide site in Bhopal despite court directives, including that of the Supreme Court. It had set a four-week deadline to shift the waste, observing that even 40 years after the gas tragedy, authorities were in a "state of inertia".
The HC had warned the government of contempt proceedings if its directive was not followed. Meanwhile, heavy police deployment has been made in Pithampur to maintain law and order. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday addressed doubters and said the issue should not be politicised.
He asserted the waste comprised 60 per cent mud and 40 per cent naphthol used to make pesticide methyl isocyanate (MIC) and was "not at all harmful". (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel ).
