Bhopal:

The Bhopal Police’s ability to carry out their jobs are being hindered by outdated analog wireless communication systems, forcing them to resort to makeshift solutions to keep the devices functional.

According to the police, its current wireless communication system has exceeded its lifespan but despite assurances of digital wireless sets over the last three years, the department has not received any. 

The current Motorola wireless sets, operating on 800 MHz frequency, were intended to be used for 10-12 years. The system, however, has been used for 24 years, police said. 

The manufacturer provided service maintenance until 2015, but the sets have since been left to function without proper technical support. Issues such as quick battery drainage, unclear voice transmission and disrupted connectivity have become a concern for the policemen.

“These (existing) wireless sets are several years old. The sound clarity is poor and there is constant crackling noise. I’ve heard that training for new sets has been planned,” Constable Pramod Soni said.

Police said they often need to resort to temporary solutions to keep their devices intact, in order to be able to perform their duties. They often use thick rubber bands or attempt quick fixes to deal with broken components. In areas where the transmission signal is weak, cops often struggle to communicate effectively, repeatedly saying “hello, hello” in the hope of getting through.

Police said the challenge increases in situations involving law and order. These sets either fail to transmit urgent messages or cannot handle the communication load, leaving officers in a fix. 

“This version is very old. The voice is unclear, and there are multiple black spots where the range is inadequate. We need updated versions,” Sub-Inspector Narendra Chaudhary said. 

Despite six tenders being issued for new wireless sets, the equipment are yet to reach the hands of the officers, police said. 

“I haven’t seen the new sets yet. The police department must be making arrangements, but we don’t know when they will reach us,” Sub-Inspector Ram Prasad said.

Top police officers said efforts are underway to upgrade the communication system.

“Wireless systems are the backbone of police operations, whether for VVIP duty or law-and-order maintenance. We are adopting the latest technology and will roll out the new system by next month,” Bhopal Police Commissioner Hari Narayan Chari Mishra said.

Police said the new devices will have features like live location tracking (unlike in the case of older sets, officers will no longer be able to provide false locations, as the new sets will function like mobile phones with live location tracking), remote deactivation (if a wireless set is lost, it can be remotely disabled from the control room, to prevent unauthorised people from eavesdropping on police communications), enhanced clarity (the voice quality will be comparable to mobile phones), and encrypted communication (the digital sets will feature encrypted coding, ensuring that unauthorised users cannot tap into police conversations).

“There were cases in the past where officers reported being in one location while they were actually elsewhere. The new system will improve supervision and modernise police operations. Such advancements should be welcomed,” Retired Director General of Police Shailendra Shrivastava said. 

Police said the new set of devices are expected to be distributed across all levels of the force, covering Inspector Generals to Assistant Sub-Inspectors. It will also be provided to policemen linked to emergency response teams such as Dial 100, traffic cops and beat in-charges.

Bhopal:

Twelve containers of hazardous waste – remnants from the Union carbide disaster 40 years ago are being sent to Pithampur from Bhopal in a major operation under heavy security. The toxic waste is being transported through a 250-kilometer-long green corridor, accompanied by ambulances, police vehicles, and fire brigades. Fifty police personnel from Bhopal are escorting the containers. 

The Police Commissioner said the waste is being moved in keeping with the highest safety standards. An officer of the Additional Superintendent of Police-level is overseeing the transportation that started late on Wednesday evening.

The 337 metric tonnes of toxic waste was stored at the abandoned Union Carbide factory in Bhopal. 

It was loaded in 12 specially designed leak-proof and fire-resistant containers. Each container carries approximately 30 tonnes of waste, packed in jumbo HDPE bags to prevent chemical reactions.

Ahead of the shift, the factory’s 200-meter radius was sealed.

Extensive Preparations were made for the safe transportation of the waste. Around 200 workers were involved in the process, who worked in short, 30-minute shifts.

They stuck to strict safety measures, including the use of PPE kits. 
There has been massive resistance to the waste disposal from the civil society in Pithampur, where the waste is headed.

More than 10 organisations have called for a shutdown tomorrow, demanding the waste be sent abroad instead of Pithampur.

Doctors from Indore’s Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital Alumni Association have filed a petition questioning the waste disposal process without adequate trials.

Pithampur Plant 

The waste disposal plant in Pithampur is the only state-of-the-art incineration plant in Madhya Pradesh. It is operated by Ramky Enviro Engineers under CPCB guidelines. The waste will be burned on a special wooden platform built 25 feet above the ground.

The burning process will also follow strict scientific protocols.
Initial testing will determine the season, temperature, and quantity for incineration.

At a speed of 90 kg/hour, it will take approximately 153 days to dispose of all 337 tonnes of waste. If the speed is increased to 270 kg/hour, it will take 51 days.

Safety and Environmental Monitoring

Special care is being taken to prevent environmental contamination:
Air quality is monitored using equipment installed at three locations within the factory campus.

Dust and soil from areas where the waste was stored are also being transported for testing.

What The Waste Comprises

The toxic waste includes five types of hazardous materials, including soil, pesticide residues, and chemicals left from manufacturing processes. The disposal operation comes nearly 40 years after the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, which claimed over 5,000 lives due to the release of methyl isocyanate gas.

In 2015, part of the waste was incinerated at the Pithampur plant as part of a trial run, burning 90 kg per hour. Based on this success, the High Court directed the disposal of the remaining waste by January 6, 2025.

Bhopal/ Indore:

The work to remove 377 metric tonnes of hazardous waste from the now-defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal has got underway ahead of its planned disposal near Indore.

The development comes weeks after the Madhya Pradesh High Court chided the authorities for not taking action despite repeated directions to clear the site in the Madhya Pradesh capital.

The highly toxic gas methyl isocyanate leaked from the Union Carbide pesticides factory on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, killing 5,479 persons and leaving more than five lakh others with health problems and long-term disabilities.

On Sunday morning, half-a-dozen GPS-enabled trucks with specially reinforced containers reached the factory site as part of the waste disposal process.

Several workers wearing special PPE kits and officials of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation, environmental agencies, doctors and incineration experts were seen working at the site. Police were also deployed around the factory.

The toxic waste will be moved to an incineration site in Pithampur near Indore, around 250 km from Bhopal, sources said.

The MP High Court on December 3 set a four-week deadline to shift the toxic waste from the factory, observing that even 40 years after the gas disaster, the authorities were in a “state of inertia” that may cause “another tragedy”.

Describing it as a “sorry state of affairs”, the HC warned the government of contempt proceedings if its directive was not followed.

“The waste of Bhopal gas tragedy is a stigma which is going to disappear after 40 years. We will dispose it by sending it safely to Pithampur,” Swatantra Kumar Singh, director of the state’s Gas Relief and Rehabilitation Department told PTI.

He said a “green corridor” of about 250 km will be created by managing traffic to transport the waste from Bhopal to Pithampur in the shortest possible time.

Singh refused to give a specific date for the transportation of the waste and its subsequent disposal at Pithampur, but sources said in view of the HC direction, the process can start soon and the waste might reach its destination by January 3.

The official said initially some part of the waste will be burnt at the disposal unit of Pithampur and the residue (ash) will be scientifically examined to find out whether any harmful element is left in it.

“If everything is found to be fine, then the waste will be burnt to ashes within three months. Otherwise, the speed of burning will be slowed down and it might take up to nine months,” Mr Singh said.

The smoke emitted from the incinerator will be passed through four-layer special filters so that the surrounding air is not polluted and a record of this process would be kept every moment, he said.

Once the waste is incinerated and freed from harmful elements, the ash will be covered with a two-layer strong “membrane” and buried at the “landfill” to ensure it does not come in contact with soil and water in any way, Mr Singh said.

The waste would be destroyed by an expert team under the supervision of officials from the Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Board and a detailed report would be submitted to the HC, he added.

A group of locals and activists claim that after 10 tonnes of Union Carbide waste was destroyed on a trial basis in Pithampur in 2015, the soil, underground water and water sources of the surrounding villages have become polluted.

However, Mr Singh rejected the claim.

“It has been decided to destroy 337 metric tonnes of Union Carbide waste in Pithampur’s waste disposal unit only after examining the report of this test of 2015 and all the objections,” he said.

“This unit has all the arrangements to dispose of the waste safely and there is nothing to worry about,” he added.

Amid reports of thewaste reaching Pithampur, having a population of about 1.75 lakh, a large number of people on Sunday took out a protest rally wearing black bands on their hands.

Led by a group named ‘Pithampur Kshetra Raksha Manch’, they held placards with slogans like “We will not let Pithampur become Bhopal” and “Save Pithampur, remove toxic waste”.

Protester Rajesh Chaudhary said, “We want the air quality of Pithampur to be re-examined by scientists before the Union Carbide factory waste is destroyed. We will also try our best to present our case in the court.” Pithampur, an industrial town about 30 km from Indore and 45 km from the district headquarters Dhar, has about 1,250 small and big units.

Goutam Kothari, president of Pithampur Industrial Organisation, said, “We are satisfied with the arrangements made for burning down the Union Carbide waste at the industrial waste disposal unit of Pithampur.

He said the waste disposal should not be made a bogey on the basis of baseless apprehensions and local people should not be scared.

But if any accident occurs in Pithampur during the waste destruction, then his organisation will launch a protest, Mr Kothari added.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A Maruti van parked on a roadside in Madhya Pradesh’s capital city Bhopal exploded on Tuesday. The van, running on an LPG cylinder, was seen engulfed in flames before a powerful blast completely destroyed the vehicle. The driver managed to escape in time and no other casualties were reported, according to officials.

The van caught fire in a residential area in Aishbagh. The loud blast triggered panic in the neighbourhood, leaving the residents terrified. The driver, visibly emotional and distressed, was heard shouting, “My car is destroyed. It is shattered!” as the fire raged on.

The fire was brought under control by the local authorities but not before it reduced the van to ashes.

The cause of the blaze remains unknown and the police are currently investigating the matter and further probe is underway.

Bhopal:

Union Carbide factory, the site of the deadly gas leak 40 years ago which was once located on Bhopal’s outskirts, is no longer ostracised with its neighbourhood now dotted with residential and commercial establishments.

The real estate in the city grew, though slowly and haphazardly, in the past four decades, though the catastrophe slowed down the development of Bhopal compared to other state capitals.

A prominent shopping mall-cum-entertainment centre is now located just 4 km away and hundreds of residential colonies have cropped up on the then vacant land near the disaster site, overlooking pollution that the tragedy created – be it groundwater or soil contamination.

The highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) plant here on the intervening night of December 2 and 3, 1984, killing 5,479 persons and maiming more than five lakh others.

The Union Carbide factory was part of the Kali Parade industrial campus and it was on the outskirts of the present-day old city, Vishnu Rathore, a former corporator who had represented the adjoining areas, told PTI.

“Now, we can say it is in the middle of the city as hundreds of residential colonies and shopping outlets catering to the people’s needs have come up,” he said.

Rathore, who was 16 years’ old at the time of disaster, said the area is still under-developed but the real estate business has been thriving in the neighbourhood of the abandoned factory site.

Since the tragedy, the city has seen a significant population growth and urban development, including in areas surrounding the Union Carbide plant campus, Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) Bhopal unit chief Manoj Singh Meek said.

“The area in the vicinity of Union Carbide, located in northern part of the city, must have added around 100 residential colonies and a population of three lakh during the past four decades,” he said.

But, the industrial disaster severely dented Bhopal’s development and economic growth, Meek said.

“Due to this disaster, Bhopal lagged behind in the race of development of state capitals. No new industrial and big business development took place in Bhopal, resulting in slow pace of the city’s growth,” Meek said.

At the time of the gas tragedy, Bhopal’s population was around 8.5 lakh. Nearly 5.2 lakh persons, including 2 lakh children and about 3,000 pregnant women, were then residing in the 36 wards which were later designated as “gas-affected,” he said.

The immediate aftermath of the disaster saw a significant number of people leaving the city due to health concerns and fear of lingering contamination, Meek said.

But over the time, the population stabilised and began to grow, influenced by factors like urbanisation and economic opportunities, he said.

By 1991, the population grew, indicating a gradual return and influx of residents, Meek said.

He said development in the immediate vicinity of the gas leak site has been “cautious” due to lingering contamination concerns.

The plant site remains largely abandoned, with limited residential or commercial projects directly adjacent to it, the CREDAI official said.

But, the urban expansion and population pressure in peripheral areas have spurred development in neighbourhoods further from the plant, he said.

Former chairman of the Institute of Town Planners India (ITPI), MP Chapter, Shubhashis Banerjee said most of the residential development adjacent to Union Carbide has been illegal.

“The compensation disbursed in the years after the tragedy gave a boost to the local economy, resulting in small-ticket size illegal real estate development in surrounding areas,” he said.

The gas leak site was not dealt with properly, unlike Hiroshima in Japan, which faced an atomic bomb attack, he opined.

“We didn’t handle the catastrophe site properly. The project for the memorial was prepared but could not be implemented. A world class memorial should have been developed there,” he said.

Banerjee said the tragedy alerted the government to strengthen the environmental rules and safety measures for the hazardous industry across the country.

“This slowed the pace of industrialisation,” he said.

Rachna Dhingra of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action, an organisation of gas survivors, said development took place at a fast pace after the construction of an overbridge parallel to Union Carbide campus.

“The overbridge was constructed on the solar evaporation ponds of Union Carbide where the toxic waste was being dumped. After that, large-scale real estate development took place in neighbouring areas,” she said.

Even a part of the solar evaporation pond has been encroached upon, Dhingra claimed.

In 2010, it was decided to shift the settlements adjacent to the Union Carbide factory campus and the Centre had sanctioned Rs 40 crore, but the proposal was shelved and situation became grimmer later on, she said.

The land and groundwater in the surrounding areas have turned toxic, but the people are living in such conditions, Dhingra said, while blaming politicians for the “mess” around the gas leak site. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Two brothers, under the influence of alcohol, strangled their own brother over a dispute about bringing chicken home in Indira Nagar in Bhopal’s Bairagarh area. The crime, which occurred on November 9, took a sinister turn when the mother attempted to conceal the murder weapon – a rope used in the act.

The victim, identified as 22-year-old Anshul Yadav, reportedly had an argument with his elder brother Kuldeep and younger brother Aman.

According to Bairagarh police station officials, the three brothers were intoxicated when Anshul insisted on buying chicken for a party. Kuldeep and Aman, who were against bringing non-vegetarian food into the house, objected, leading to a heated argument. The dispute escalated, and in a fit of rage, the two brothers strangled Anshul with a rope.

After the incident, Kuldeep, Aman, and their mother Anita took Anshul to the hospital, claiming he had fallen unconscious upon returning home.

However, police grew suspicious after noticing rope marks on Anshul’s neck.

When questioned, Anita initially tried to mislead the investigators, claiming Anshul lost consciousness after coming back from outside. It was later discovered that Anita had hidden the rope to protect her sons.

“The argument about non-veg food escalated to the point where Kuldeep and Aman killed their brother in a drunken state. The mother has also been made an accused for attempting to hide the crime,” Bairagarh police station in-charge Kamaljeet Randhawa said.

The family hails from Kheri in Vidisha district, where they own farmland.

Anshul and his brothers worked at a shop in Bairagarh.

The market was closed on the day of the incident, which is why Anshul was adamant about hosting a party at home.

According to the police, the three brothers frequently fought, often fueled by their addiction to alcohol and drugs.

The police have arrested the two brothers and filed a case against them and their mother for hiding evidence and culpable homicide.

Bhopal:

The Madhya Pradesh police on Sunday saved a businessman from being looted by cyber criminals who had put him under “digital arrest” in Bhopal, an official said.

Vivek Oberoi, a resident of Arera Colony in the city, received a call around 1 pm on Saturday from individuals posing as officials of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), an MP police cyber cell release said.

The scammers connected Oberoi to people who identified themselves as CBI and Mumbai crime branch officials, it stated.

They trapped Oberoi by claiming that several bogus bank accounts were opened using his Aadhaar, which they said was also used for purchasing SIM cards for unsolicited marketing, the release said.

“Digital arrest” is a type of online fraud where scammers impersonate law enforcement or government officials to convince victims that they are under arrest.

The cyber crooks told Oberoi to download the Skype video app and asked him to stay in a room. During that time, the businessman alerted the MP cyber police and cops reached his home amid his ‘digital arrest’.

When police demanded ID verification of the fake law-enforcement officials, the fraudsters disconnected the video call, the release said.

While the conmen had got the businessman’s bank details during his “digital arrest”, he didn’t transfer any money, the release added

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bhopal:

The BJP has announced a milestone in its membership campaign in Madhya Pradesh, claiming to have crossed the 1.5-crore member mark. According to the party, it now boasts 1,50,28,107 members, with an average of 232 members at every booth across the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also praised the party’s membership drive, which places Madhya Pradesh second only to Uttar Pradesh in terms of the number of party members.

The Congress has, however, alleged data manipulation and cast doubt on the authenticity of the numbers. Congress leaders said their own senior members received messages telling them they have been enrolled as BJP members, despite never opting into the campaign.

Congress leaders including former ministers Lakhan Ghanghoria and Vinay Saxena have reportedly received these messages. Mr Ghanghoria, a Congress MLA, expressed disbelief at the enrollment of prominent Congress members in BJP’s records, calling the campaign’s claims an act of deception.

Mr Saxena, a former MLA, said he received a message welcoming him to the BJP, which, according to him, indicates that his details had already been entered into the party’s database. He called these actions fraudulent and accused the BJP of inflating its membership numbers with baseless entries.

“This is not the first time the BJP has made hollow claims,” Mr Saxena said, adding the truth will eventually come out.

Mr Ghanghoria echoed Mr Saxena’s concerns, questioning how BJP can continue to defend such practices when their own party MLA, Ajay Vishnoi, also raised issues regarding the membership drive. Mr Vishnoi publicly claimed he received a call from an agency offering to boost BJP’s membership figures in exchange for money. This comment led to widespread discussion about the credibility of the campaign.

Senior BJP leader Ajay Vishnoi took to social media, saying he respects genuine BJP workers but expressed frustration over commercialisation of the membership campaign. He suggested that some elements may be attempting to harm the party by artificially inflating membership numbers.

The BJP has filed a first information report (FIR) in Indore and Bhopal, alleging fraudulent attempts to mislead party officials.

Though the Congress welcomed the FIR, it continued to call the campaign “fake”.

Umang Singhar, Leader of the Opposition, urged for an investigation into the sources of these “questionable” membership messages. “We have proof of how BJP is falsely inflating its membership count,” Mr Singhar said,  adding the FIR only highlighted the irregularities in the campaign.

BJP state president VD Sharma refuted the Congress’s claims, emphasising on transparency and success of the membership drive. “The Opposition is known for spreading lies. BJP workers have worked with honesty, and this campaign is indeed historic,” Mr Sharma said.

He said the membership drive attracted a significant number of young people, third-gender individuals, and minorities, with over 1.22 crore members having registered digitally.

According to the BJP, out of the 1.5 crore members, around 1.22 crore people registered digitally. However, the issue of missed call registrations has sparked debate. Journalists in Madhya Pradesh have also reportedly received messages confirming their BJP membership, raising further questions about the authenticity of the process.

Bhopal:

A 13-year-old boy has allegedly died while dancing to loud music playing on the amplifier, popularly called “DJ”, in Madhya Pradesh’s capital Bhopal. The incident occurred when the victim, Samar Billore, heard the DJ playing outside his residence during a local festival celebration. With people dancing outside his house, Samar was drawn to the loud music and joined the crowd. He, however, collapsed during celebrations.

Unaware of his health condition, people around him kept dancing as his mother, Jamuna Devi, cried for help.

“He had a heart condition, but he was fine,” she said.

Doctors confirmed that he died of heart failure.

Samar’s father, Kailash Billore, said the DJ’s sound was “dangerously loud”. 

“Despite many warnings, it was not turned off. It felt like nothing could stop that noise, even as our son’s life slipped away,” he said.

The NDTV team conducted an investigation across Bhopal for 12 days, measuring noise levels in areas like Gautam Nagar, Jamboori Maidan, Jahangirabad, and Govindpura. The noise levels consistently ranged between 90 to 100 decibels, far beyond permissible limits.

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The rules clearly state that speakers should not exceed 55 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night in residential areas. In silent zones, the limit is even lower – 50 decibels during the day and 40 at night.

Despite guidelines from the Supreme Court and directives from Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav to control DJ noise, enforcement remains weak.

Bhopal Police Commissioner Harinarayan Chari Mishra acknowledged the challenges of noise pollution during festivals, stating, “We instruct organizers in advance, but the noise often continues.”

ALSO READ | Madhya Pradesh Official Objects To Loud DJ Music, Beaten With Sticks

Dr Neha Pawar, a local resident, said the DJ sound is “extremely loud”.

“Patients, children, and the elderly are suffering. There should be strict time and volume limits for DJs to prevent such problems,” she said.

Dharmendra Lodhi, another resident, said, “The noise from sound systems during festivals is unbearable. The administration’s failure to enforce the rules is the root cause of these problems.”

The loud noise can have severe health consequences, ranging from ear pain and hearing loss to increased heart rate and high blood pressure.

Dr Anusha Shukla, who treats conditions affecting ears, nose and throat, warned that prolonged exposure to loud noise can cause permanent hearing damage.

Cardiologist Kislay Srivastava added that loud noise could trigger irregular heartbeats, potentially leading to fatal outcomes.

Though the police claim to have taken action against 91 DJ operators under the Noise Act, the reality on the ground remains unchanged.

Jabalpur:

A man accused of shouting “Pakistan zindabad” was on Tuesday granted bail by the Madhya Pradesh High Court with the condition that he has to salute the national flag at a police station 21 times and raise “Bharat Mata ki jai” slogan twice a month till the end of his trial.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Paliwal granted bail to the accused, Faizal, on the condition that he will regularly report to Misrod Police Station in Bhopal on the first and fourth Tuesday of every month until the case is resolved. 

As part of his bail conditions, he will have to stand in front of the tricolor flag displayed at the station and salute it 21 times while chanting “Bharat Mata ki jai.”

“I am of the view that applicant (Faizal) may be released on bail by imposing some conditions which may enthuse in him the sense of responsibility and a pride for the country in which he is born and living,” Justice Paliwal said.

The state government’s counsel opposed the bail, saying the applicant was a “habitual offender” and 14 criminal cases were registered against him.

“By shouting the slogan of “Pakistan Zindabad, Hindustan Murdabad”, he attempted to promote enmity between different groups and his act amounts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony and national integration,” the counsel said.

“He is openly shouting slogans against the country in which he was born and brought up. If he is not happy and satisfied in this nation, he may opt to live in the country of his choice for which he raised the slogan of “zindabad”,” the counsel added.

Faizal was arrested in May after a video surfaced of him shouting slogans hailing Pakistan and denouncing India.

He is required to visit the police station between 10 am and 12 pm on the specified days.