The Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR) has now submitted its latest report, regarding the contamination of groundwater in Bhopal communities, to the apex committee of the Supreme Court. The report confirms excessive levels of nitrate, chloride and heavy metals in 20 further colonies, bringing to 42 the number with groundwater contaminated by chemicals believed to have originated from toxic waste dumped by Union Carbide. Thousands of people remain using this groundwater as their primary supply.
The report indicated the presence of alpha naphthol in the samples and according to the petitioner in the matter, Bhopal Group for Information and Action (BGIA), this vindicates the assumption that toxic waste, dumped by Union Carbide, is the source of the contamination
Rachna Dhingra, co-convenor of BGIA, said: “The report confirms presence of nitrate, chloride and heavy metals in the samples, but most remarkable, it has found alpha naphthol in the samples, an ingredient used by Union Carbide in the production of methyl isocyanate (MIC). They also had an alpha naphthol plant within the Carbide premises. This makes it amply clear that soil and ground water in areas adjacent to Carbide plant is being contaminated by spread of toxic material from inside the plant, which the company used to dump as waste”.
