Apex court slams tardy progress in UCC toxic waste disposal

New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) The Supreme Court Friday told the central and Madhya Pradesh governments to act fast and put in place an agreement with German firm GIZ for disposal of 350 MT of toxic waste from the Union Carbide site in Bhopal or the court would end the proceedings before it.

A bench of Justice G.S.Singhvi and Justice S.J.Mukhopadhaya, while granting two weeks time as sought by senior counsel Ravi Shankar Prasad, appearing for the state government, asked him if the state government would be able to put in place an agreement with the German firm in this period.

In an expression of their disapproval at the way things were moving, the court said that it was not inclined to give any more time after this.

"If it (the agreement) does not happen in three weeks, we will close the case and conclude that neither the centre nor the state is willing to dispose the waste."

A group of ministers (GoM) of the central government has already cleared the proposed deal with the German firm GIZ June 8 and had even released Rs. 25 crore to support the project.

However, the move lost momentum after German firm took time in responding to the letter issued by the state government, and it appeared that GIZ had certain reservations on some provisions of the agreement.