The Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR) has informed the Supreme Court that groundwater around the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal is contaminated.

In an interim report submitted before the Bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and J. Chelameswar, the IITR said 30 samples were collected from the disaster site. Nitrate level in nine samples exceeded the permissible limit prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards for drinking water and lead beyond the limit was found in 24.

Public outrage seems to have got better of scientific opinion when it comes to disposing of over 350 tonnes of toxic waste on the Union Carbide's now-defunct premises at Bhopal.

The Supreme Court directs the Central and Madhya Pradesh governments and the ICMR to address the health needs of the Bhopal gas victims.

It’s back to square one in the mission to get rid of toxic waste from Union Carbide’s pesticide plant in Bhopal, with German agency GIZ backing out of a proposal to airlift 350 tonnes of waste to Europe for safe disposal.

After three months of extensive contract negotiations with the Indian government, the firm has said: “Hazardous waste disposal through GIZ is no longer an option.” In a statement on why the contract did not materialise, GIZ said “uncertainties [which] extended to the German public” had grown during the months of struggling to close the deal.

Protests in Germany have ensured that the refuse cannot be taken to Europe either

It’s back to square one in the mission to get rid of toxic waste from Union Carbide’s pesticide plant in Bhopal, with German agency GIZ backing out of a proposal to airlift 350 tonnes of waste to Europe for safe disposal. After three months of extensive contract negotiations with the Indian government, the firm on Monday said: “Hazardous waste disposal through GIZ is no longer an option.” In a statement on why the contract did not materialise, GIZ said “uncertainties [which] extended to the German public” had grown during the months of struggling to close the deal.

The coal ministry on Tuesday approved the deallocation of captive blocks held by SKS Ispat and Bhushan Steel, based on the recommendations of an inter-ministerial group (IMG) reviewing progress on the blocks. At a meeting on Tuesday, the panel also recommended deallocating a block being developed by Bihar Sponge.

SKS Ispat’s Rawanwara North block and Bhushan Steel’s New Patrapara block, deallocated on Tuesday by Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal, together hold reserves of 1,216 mt. SKS Ispat was recently in news after its name figured in the alleged allocation scam. Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay’s brother Sudhir Kant Sahay is an executive director in the company.

In a blow to both the Centre and the Madhya Pradesh government's efforts, a German firm has refused to dispose of 350 tonnes of toxic waste from the Bhopal gas disaster site to Germany citing "uncertainties" on both the sides. A Group of Ministers (GoM) in June had approved the proposal for disposing of 350 metric tonnes of packaged chemical waste, resulting from Bhopal gas disaster of December 1984, by German agency GIZ for a payment of Rs 25 crore.

However, there was no agreement signed between the government and GIZ for removal of the waste.

Will draw power from the grid to provide start-up power for the first 660 MW unit

Reliance Power today said its 4,000 MW Sasan ultra mega power project in Madhya Pradesh has been connected to the national grid. "The 400 Kv switchyard at the Sasan Ultra Mega Power Plant has been commissioned and with this the Sasan UMPP is now connected to the national grid," Anil Ambani-promoted Reliance Power said in a statement.

M.P. government agrees to demands of Omkareshwar Dam oustees

Oustees of the Omkareshwar Dam project called off their jal satyagraha on Monday after the Madhya Pradesh government accepted all their demands and constituted a ministerial committee to look into their grievances. On the 17th day of the protest, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan announced that the government had agreed to the key demands of the agitators — reducing the water level of the dam to 189 metres and providing land for land compensation to all those who had lost their land.

RTI activist Ajay Dubey of Madhya Pradesh, who shot into prominence with his Supreme Court petition asking for better monitoring of tiger reserves, feels he was justified in having sought redressal from the highest court.

“Madhya Pradesh had 700 tigers in 2000 but their numbers are down to 257,” said Mr Dubey who runs an environmental protection group, Prayatna. “Thirty-five tigers were lost in Panna alone from 2000. Undoubtedly, they died at the hands of poachers but my question is why was the ministry of environment so lax in implementing the Wildlife Protection Act 1972?” he asked.