Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Babulal Gaur on Tuesday claimed that the waste lying in the defunct Union Carbide factory here was not harmful. "The 350 metric tonne waste lying in the factory is not at all harmful," Gaur said here,two days ahead of the 25th anniversary of the world's worst industrial disaster. "Some recent findings have proved that the waste lying in the abandoned factory is not harmful," he said. Many NGOs have alleged that toxic and hazardous waste is still present in the factory,causing pollution. Gaur said 40 metric tonnes of waste of the factory has already been carted out and disposed of at Pithampur near Indore. He rejected the claims made by some NGOs that waste in the factory was causing ground water pollution and said water to the area around the factory is being supplied by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation with the help of tankers. Ground water around the factory is not polluted,he said. Gaur felt that NGO's associated with the tragedy were not playing a constructive role anymore. "Earlier,NGOs played a constructive role but this is not the case now," he said. There is no need for them to protest given that the state government is providing Rs 45 crore annually for the welfare of the gas tragedy victims,he added.
