New Delhi, 16 March (H.S.): The Supreme Court refused to entertain a petition warning of potential mercury contamination to soil and groundwater from the disposal of Bhopal gas tragedy waste, directing petitioners to the Madhya Pradesh High Court overseeing related issues for decades.

The Bhopal Gas Peedit Sangharsh Sahayog Samiti challenged the incineration of waste from Union Carbide's former pesticide plant site, alleging mercury could leach into land and nearby water sources.

Senior advocate Anand Grover contested official reports claiming no mercury in treated waste, arguing large-scale burning renders such assertions dubious and demands re-inspection to avert environmental peril.

A bench led by Chief Justice Suryakantam, with Justice Joymalya Bagchi, noted no leakage evidence from the monitoring committee's tests thus far. Bagchi observed petitioners question the committee's methodology, suitable for relevant authorities, adding future leaks could prompt reinforced sealing measures.

The midnight leak of toxic methyl isocyanate gas from the Union Carbide factory on December 2-3, 1984, killed over 3,000 instantly and affected more than 100,000, leaving enduring groundwater pollution legacies.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar