‘We Deserve Clean Air’: Indore Women Protest Union Carbide Waste Testing

Bhopal

Pithampur, Mhow, and Indore women on Friday sought an immediate stop to the ongoing testing of Union Carbide’s hazardous waste, claiming it is exposing them and their families to dangerous toxins. They argue that the process, instead of destroying the waste, is only worsening the problem.

For three days, residents near the testing site in Pithampur have been breathing air contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals. The women leading the protest insist that no further testing should take place until reports on heavy metals, dioxins, and furans in the air are made public. They are also demanding transparency about the ash generated from the tests, fearing that it contains even more toxic substances.

“This isn’t waste disposal; it’s waste multiplication,” said one of the protesters. “They claim the testing is destroying Union Carbide’s hazardous waste, but in reality, the waste has tripled. Now, they plan to bury it in a leaking landfill that is already polluting our land.” The Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) has reportedly confirmed that the landfill is contaminating the environment.

The women are questioning why the government is putting their health at risk when safer disposal options exist. “Why should our children suffer when better solutions are available?” they asked. “Breathing clean air is our constitutional right under Article 21, and we will not let them take it away from us.”

Determined to stop the testing, they plan to take legal action. “We are moving the High Court,” they announced. “We want an immediate halt to this reckless testing and a proper solution for this toxic waste.”

Their fight is not just about their own health but about securing a safer future for the generations to come.