Overview
- The Supreme Court refused to entertain the NGO’s plea on alleged mercury leakage from incinerated UCIL waste and directed it to move the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
- Petitioners, citing IIT Hyderabad professor Asif Qureshi’s analysis, argue mercury remains in residual ash and filter bags and could contaminate soil and groundwater.
- Oversight committees supervising the Pithampur process reported trial runs showed no leaching and no mercury beyond permissible limits, with scope to reinforce containment if needed.
- The court rejected a request to partially open sealed concrete boxes holding ash and filter bags, warning that such testing could expose people to toxins.
- The dispute follows the High Court’s December 10, 2025 order permitting disposal at Pithampur, as petitioners also reference CPCB’s 2015 finding of about 15 kg of mercury in residual soil.