BWRC Appeals to PM Modi for Action Against Illegal Hazardous Waste Disposal in Gujarat

Surat : Surat-based Brackish Water Research Centre (BWRC) has raised alarm over the rampant illegal disposal of hazardous waste across Gujarat. In a strongly worded letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BWRC has urged the central government to intervene and direct the Gujarat government to formulate a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and issue an official resolution to combat this growing environmental crime.

BWRC president MHS Sheikh, in his letter, stated, “No law permits the open disposal of industrial waste or chemicals, yet illegal toxic waste dumping has become widespread in Gujarat. This unchecked practice is not only a grave environmental offense but also a direct threat to human lives.”

The letter highlights a series of alarming incidents that underscore the severity of the crisis. Six cases of acid and hazardous waste dumping have been reported in Ankleshwar’s irrigation canal, which supplies drinking water to the city. The consequences have already turned fatal—two people lost their lives in Surat when illegal hazardous waste ignited and triggered a fire. Just last Sunday, another individual suffered severe burns in a similar incident.

The crisis is not confined to urban areas. BWRC has documented cases of hazardous waste tankers being dumped into agricultural fields, including one in Block No. 371/a, Gothan, Olpad district. The organization has also exposed a shocking case where HCC Olpad Surat company illegally disposed of over 70 tons of highly toxic cyanide-bearing waste into the tribal area of Jhagadia—yet, no strict action has been taken against the company or the perpetrators.

Further, the Meghmani Group, already facing five police cases related to hazardous waste disposal, was linked to the tragic Borasara village incident in Surat on August 2, 2023, where four people, including waste mafia operators, died due to an illegal waste fire. Another major offender, Prahari Pigment in Jhagadia, was responsible for dumping hazardous waste in Kadodara, resulting in two deaths. Shockingly, the company is owned by an ex-Mayor of Rajkot and a former chairman of the Municipal Finance Board in Gandhinagar.

BWRC warns that Gujarat, which produces over 53% of India’s chemicals, is sitting on a ticking time bomb of environmental destruction. Sheikh emphasized, “It is tragic that Gujarat’s legal system has never handed a jail term to any environmental criminal. The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) operates like a tiger without teeth—it prefers imposing fines rather than taking stringent legal action against offenders.”

BWRC has been advocating for an SOP and a government resolution to effectively tackle such crimes, but the demand has been consistently ignored due to vested interests. The organization, which previously exposed the ₹800 crore Surat GEPIL hazardous waste scandal in 2011, insists that immediate intervention is necessary. “If urgent measures are not taken, the consequences for Gujarat’s environment and public health will be catastrophic,” warned Sheikh.