BHOPAL: Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), on Friday, started destroying water chestnuts grown in ponds located on the premises of the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) plant. The chestnuts were grown in ponds filled with water contaminated with harmful chemicals.
Farming of water chestnuts was in full swing in ponds which were made to dispose of chemical waste from Carbide Plant. Gas victims living in vicinity of plant have raised the issue before district administration as such consumption of water chestnuts grown in the chemical-infested water may be harmful for health.
In Union Carbide plant, located in JP Nagar, ponds within around 400 meter and 500 meter purview, are full following rains in the city.
Ponds were made in 1977 for disposal of chemical waste. Water chestnuts grown in the ponds at Arif Nagar are being sold in the market.
Rachna Dingra of Bhopal Group of Information and Action said, “ BMC has started destroying the nuts. The team will further intensify the drive. If cultivators are not stopped, they will continue with farming of water chestnuts in chemically polluted water. The consumption of nuts grown in chemically polluted water is hazardous for health.”
Dingra said that the group had approached the Supreme Court and the Madhya Pradesh government had assured the court to take action against cultivators but so far nothing has been done in this direction. This time also, they will destroy the crops but I doubt any action will be taken against the cultivators, she added.
