New Delhi: After spending two days huddled in meetings over legal and health aspects of the Bhopal gas tragedy, the Group of Ministers (GoM) met again on Sunday, for the fourth time, discussing the environmental damage caused by the gas leakage.
After the meeting, Head of the GoM, P Chidambaram said that remedial and contamination issues were discussed and that they will submit their final report on Bhopal tomorrow.
"Today we discussed remedial issues and environment issues - remediation of contaminated water, contaminated soil, toxic wastes that are on the site and the corroded plant. This is the last session of the GoM. We have covered all the subjects that we had identified in the beginning. The minutes are being drawn up and tomorrow the GoM will meet again at 10 am to finalise the minutes and finalise the conclusions of the recommendations. I expect to be able to send the report to the Prime Minister by tomorrow afternoon," said Chidambaram.
Sources tell NDTV that the panel is considering burying the toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory in the accident site soil itself. The onus is on the Madhya Pradesh government but the Centre will provide technical and financial help.
Also, a decision was taken to incinerate 350 metric tonnes of toxic waste near Indore and clean up 1.1 million tonnes of contaminated soil on the spot.
Sources also tell NDTV that the GoM has decided to dismantle the plant and build a memorial park on the site. A new research centre of ICMR will also be set up in Bhopal.
The Prime Minister had asked the nine-member GoM headed by Chidambaram on June 14 to meet immediately and report to the Cabinet within 10 days. (
Read: PM intervenes in Bhopal, gives ministers 10 days to report)
The GoM, has been asked to assess the options and remedies available to the government in the light of the Bhopal court's verdict in the gas tragedy case. It was reconstituted to go into a range of issues including the relief and rehabilitation of victims and their families.
Nearly 26 years after the disaster left over 15,000 dead, former Union Carbide India Chairman Keshub Mahindra and six others were sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Bhopal court. (
Read: Two years in prison for eight convicted in Bhopal gas tragedy |
Bhopal gas tragedy: Verdict and after)Also Read: Who is Warren Anderson