Madhya Pradesh: Protesters Perform 'Shavasana' To Oppose UCC Waste Disposal In Pithampur

Dhar/Pithampur (Madhya Pradesh): A group of people on Wednesday performed 'Shavasana' (corpse pose) to protest against the proposed disposal of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) waste, connected to Bhopal gas tragedy, in Dhar district.

Protests have been going on in the district, where 337 metric tonnes of waste have been brought from Bhopal for incineration at the industrial town of Pithampur.

Twelve persons, including members of Pithampur Bachao Samiti, Pithampur Raksha Samiti and yoga exponent Pradeep Dubey, performed Shavasana at the bus stand around noon as part of their demonstration.

‘I have been associated with yoga for a long time. We realised Shavasana was the best way to express our feelings peacefully,’ Dubey told reporters. He said authorities should take the matter seriously and not be in haste to dispose of Union Carbide waste. ‘Because of this (waste disposal plan), everyone is fearful today.

Therefore, to demonstrate the last limit of fear, we performed Shavasana.’ Dr Hemant Hirole President Pithampur Bachao Samiti said they have been holding a public dialogue since 12 containers carrying the waste reached Pithampur last month. ‘But we have not received answers to our technical questions,’ he claimed.

In January, protests had rocked Pithampur, around 50 km from Dhar district headquarters, after the waste was brought to a private facility in the industrial town for incineration. Those objecting to the move claim it would harm locals' health and the environment. Meanwhile, the local administration has launched an intense awareness campaign to allay ‘misconceptions’ about the waste disposal.