Sitting on a disaster for 30 years : Sheltering toxic substances
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 17, 2012 -

It is a scary proposition. Toxic pesticides, insecticides, weedicides sitting in the cool comfort of a godown at Mantripukhri for 30 years and literally Imphal was sitting on a ticking time bomb for three decades.

To think that the Government did not even once consider the potential hazards facing the people and the situation cannot get murkier than this. Talk about abdicating responsibilities.

There can be only one explanation why the pesticides, insecticides and weedicides turned toxic and that is the failure of the Government agencies to let these chemicals reach the intended population on time. Making the people sit on a veritable disaster.

The ineptness, insensitivity and devil may care attitude of the Government towards public well being cannot be more pronounced than this.

On second thoughts, the Government may just have some other buried skeletons which may tumble out anytime and make the present case pale in comparison.

Okay, there is no record or even a shred of evidence to show that the toxic substances which have been there for the last three decades have wreaked any damages but what guarantee is there that it would not in the future ?

The lackadaisical approach of the Government to issues which concern public safety has to be corrected soon or else it may not be just about toxic substances lying inside a godown but could well translate into the chemicals finding its way into the life of the public.

It is not enough that the Government has consulted the Centre and got the okay signal to dispose off the toxic substances at its designated sites, but calls for a thorough inquiry to understand why a load of toxic chemicals were allowed to gather dust inside a Government godown for 30 years.

The process of stock piling the toxic substances at Mantripukhri predates the Bhopal gas tragedy. It predates some of the worst industrial mishaps the world has witnessed and to think that not even an eye brow was lifted all these years is extremely scary and reflects a mindset blinded by power and arrogance.

It is more a case of public safety be damned and this is something which is highly unacceptable in this age when public convenience and safety has become the catchword of Governments the world over.

The process of disposing the toxic chemicals may have started but if the State Government is under the impression that consulting with the Centre and identifying the dumping sites is the beginning and end of the job, then Manipur may well gear itself up to face a disaster, a man made one at that.

It is much more than a question of collecting garbage from the markets and disposing them at the dumping sites. Has the Government or its experts given any thought on how the pesticides, insecticides and weedicides, which have turned toxic, are going to be removed and towed away ?

What are the safety measures to be taken up for the people who will be directly involved in carting them away ? What about the godown ? What sanitisation programmes are lined up to make it safe and fit for future use ?

Given the fact that the Government slept over a potential disaster for 30 years, it would not be surprising if any of these questions have not been referred to or discussed.