The 40-year-old tragedy in Bhopal is fueling paranoia in Pithampur.

• On January 3, Pithampur, a town in Madhya Pradesh, erupted in protests over the disposal of 358 tonnes of toxic chemical waste at the Pithampur Industrial Waste Management Private Limited.

• The waste was generated from a disaster 40 years ago, when toxic gas, methyl isocyanate (MIC), leaked from the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) factory, killing thousands.

• The Central government estimates that 5,479 people have died due to the disaster as of 2022, but several NGOs and activists claim that the numbers surpass 15,000.

• The waste was brought to Pithampur by the government, raising questions about its safety and the safety of the waste disposal process.

• The waste will be incinerated at 1,200 degrees Celsius, with a batch of 90 kg to be incinerated after the toxicity feedback rate is examined.

• The government has also highlighted a 2015 trial where 10 tonnes of the same waste from the UCIL factory was incinerated at the treatment plant.

• The people in Pithampur are concerned about the potential consequences of the waste disposal, fearing that their children will die in 10-15 years.

• An old well near the Bokneshwar Mahadev temple, now covered with a grill, was a major source of water for the village before the authorities covered it after the 2015 trial disposal of the 10-tonne UCIL waste.