Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Madhya Pradesh Government is planning to build a memorial for the victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy on the site of the defunct Union Carbide factory, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Saturday (January 17, 2026).
“The chemical waste lay there for nearly 40 years. Under the guidance of the High Court, our government successfully disposed of the chemical waste without any environmental damage or human loss. Taking all sections of society and affected stakeholders into confidence, and under the guidance of the High Court, we will now proceed to build a memorial for those who died in the Bhopal gas tragedy on these now-cleaned premises, Mr. Yadav said during a visit to the abandoned campus of the factory in Bhopal’s Arif Nagar area.
Away from the edge: On waste disposal from the 1984 Bhopal plant accident
The Bhopal gas tragedy, on the night of December 2 and 3, 1984, killed 5,479 people after highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide unit. Government estimates say the tragedy also caused serious health implications and disabilities among more than five lakh people over the years.
During the visit, Mr. Yadav held discussions with senior officials regarding the development of the proposed memorial.
‘Congress helped Anderson’
The Chief Minister also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was visiting victims of the Indore water contamination and diarrhoea outbreak on the same day, accusing previous Congress governments of abandoning the victims of the gas tragedy. He further alleged that the Congress “helped” Warren Anderson, the then CEO of Union Carbide India Ltd., to escape the country.
“The Congress not only left people here to die, but committed an even greater sin by helping Anderson, the owner of Union Carbide, escape. Leaders of the Congress played a major role in facilitating his escape. Rahul Gandhi should apologise for that phase of governance when his own grandmother and father were in power and responsible,” Mr. Yadav said.
About 358 tonnes of toxic chemical waste from the Union Carbide factory site were incinerated at a private waste treatment facility in Dhar district’s Pithampur in 2025, even as local residents protested against the move.
Published – January 17, 2026 10:55 pm IST
