Forty years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, 377 tonnes of hazardous waste has been shifted from the defunct Union Carbide factory for its disposal at a unit in Dhar district, officials said on Thursday. The toxic waste was transported at around 9 pm on Wednesday in 12 sealed container trucks via a ‘green corridor’ from Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal to Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district, located 250 km away.

“A green corridor was created for the nearly seven-hour journey of the vehicles to the Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district,” Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department Director Swatantra Kumar Singh said. Initially, some of the waste will be burnt at the disposal unit in Pithampur and the residue (ash) will be examined to find whether any harmful elements are left, he said.