You are here: Home » 2025 » January » Archives for 9th

Bitget erweitert BGB-Ökosystem mit Morph-Chain-Integration und Liquiditätspool in Höhe von 1,1 Millionen USD auf Bulbaswap

VICTORIA, Seychellen, Jan. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, die weltweit führende Kryptowährungsbörse und Web3–Firma, freut sich, die Cross–Chain–Integration ihres nativen Tokens, Bitget Token (BGB), in die Morph Chain bekannt zu geben. Dieser strategische Schritt ist ein weiterer Meilenstein im Rahmen der Erweiterung des On–Chain–Ökosystems von BGB und der Verpflichtung zur Verbesserung der Zugänglichkeit und Nutzbarkeit für die Benutzer.

Mit dieser Integration ist BGB nun auf der Morph Bridge verfügbar, sodass ein nahtloser Token–Transfer über mehrere Blockchains hinweg möglich ist. Bitget hat außerdem einen Liquiditätspool für BGB auf dem zentralen Handels– und Liquiditätsmarktplatz Bulbaswap auf Morph gestartet, bei dem der Total Value Locked (TVL) innerhalb weniger Tage nach dem Start 1,1 Millionen USD überschritten hat. Benutzer können nun am Liquiditätspool teilnehmen, um Prämien zu verdienen und gleichzeitig das Wachstum des BGB–Ökosystems zu unterstützen.

Als Motivation für On–Chain–Aktivitäten im Zusammenhang mit BGB können die Teilnehmer von The Great Token Migration (Staffel 2 von Morph Zoo) BGB in ihre Bridging–Aktivitäten zum Erwerb von Morph–Punkten integrieren. Zu den möglichen Aktionen gehören die Übertragung von BGB von Ethereum auf Morph, die Rückübertragung von Morph auf Ethereum und das Halten von BGB auf Morph, um Punkte für die zweite Staffel zu sammeln. Benutzer von Bitget Wallet profitieren während des Events von einem 1,2–fachen Multiplikator auf Bridge–Scores.

Gracy Chen, CEO von Bitget, zu der Integration: „Unser Engagement für das langfristige Wachstum und die Nutzbarkeit von BGB bleibt ungebrochen. Durch die Übertragung von BGB auf die Morph Chain und die Einführung neuer Liquiditätspools erweitern wir die Reichweite und bieten den Benutzern mehr Möglichkeiten. Diese Integration entspricht unserer Vision von BGB als Eckpfeiler dezentraler und realer Anwendungen, mit denen die BGB–Community vollständig am sich weiterentwickelnden Web3–Ökosystem teilnehmen kann.“

Die Morph–Chain–Integration steht im Einklang mit der umfassenderen Strategie von Bitget, die Nutzbarkeit von BGB sowohl in On–Chain– als auch in Off–Chain–Szenarien zu verbessern. Vor Kurzem hat Bitget ein neues BGB–Whitepaper veröffentlicht, in dem die ehrgeizigen Pläne für die Zukunft des Tokens vorgestellt werden. Zu den wichtigsten Initiativen gehört ein Rückkauf– und Verbrennungsprogramm für die Schaffung eines deflationären Modells zur Förderung des langfristigen Werts. In der ersten Phase dieser Initiative wurden 800 Millionen BGB verbrannt, was einem Anteil von 40 % am Gesamtangebot entspricht.

In dem Whitepaper werden auch Pläne zur Positionierung von BGB als zentrales Asset für Staking, Liquiditätsbereitstellung und DeFi–Anwendungen auf der Chain beschrieben. Darüber hinaus arbeitet Bitget aktiv an der Integration von BGB in PayFi–Anwendungsfälle, um die reale Nutzbarkeit zu ermöglichen, was Zahlungen für Restaurants, Reisen und Einkäufe über die Bitget Card umfasst.

Im Jahr 2024 verzeichnete BGB ein bemerkenswertes Wachstum, das sich im Laufe des Jahres verzehnfachte und seine Position als einer der leistungsstärksten Börsen–Token weiter festigte. Laut CoinMarketCap liegt BGB mit einem Börsenwert von 74 Milliarden inzwischen auf Rang 25.

Morph ist eine fortschrittliche, auf Ethereum aufbauende Layer–2–Skalierungslösung, die zur Erhöhung der Transaktionsgeschwindigkeit und Senkung der Kosten unter Beibehaltung der Sicherheit und Dezentralität von Ethereum entwickelt wurde. Unterstützt von führenden Investoren wie DragonFly Capital, Pantera Capital und Foresight Ventures, startete Morph Ende 2024 sein Mainnet, führte ein nahtloses Cross–Chain–Bridging ein und unterstützt ein wachsendes Ökosystem dezentraler Anwendungen (dApps).

Über Bitget

Bitget wurde 2018 gegründet und ist die weltweit führende Kryptowährungsbörse und Web3–Firma. Mit über 45 Millionen Benutzern in mehr als 150 Ländern und Regionen hat sich Bitget dazu verpflichtet, den Benutzern mit ihrer bahnbrechenden Copy–Trading–Funktion und anderen Handelslösungen zu helfen, intelligenter zu handeln. Es bietet gleichzeitig Echtzeit–Zugang zum Bitcoin–Kurs, Ethereum–Kurs und anderen Kryptowährungspreisen. Die ehemals unter dem Namen BitKeep bekannte Bitget Wallet ist eine erstklassige Multichain–Krypto–Wallet, die eine Reihe umfassender Web3–Lösungen und –Funktionen, darunter Wallet–Funktionen, Token Swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp–Browser und mehr, bietet.

Bitget steht an vorderster Front, wenn es darum geht, die Akzeptanz von Kryptowährungen durch strategische Partnerschaften voranzutreiben, wie z. B. als offizieller Krypto–Partner der weltbesten Fußball–Liga LALIGA für den OST–, SEA– und LATAM–Markt, sowie als globaler Partner der türkischen Nationalsportler Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Weltmeister im Ringen), Samet Gümüş (Goldmedaillengewinner im Boxen) und İlkin Aydın (Volleyball–Nationalmannschaft), um die globale Gemeinschaft zu inspirieren, Teil der Zukunft der Kryptowährung zu werden.

Weitere Informationen finden Sie im Internet: Website | Twitter | Telegramm | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

Für Medienanfragen wenden Sie sich bitte an: media@bitget.com

Risikohinweis: Die Preise digitaler Vermögenswerte unterliegen Schwankungen und können eine hohe Volatilität aufweisen. Den Anlegern wird empfohlen, nur Gelder einzusetzen, deren Verlust sie sich leisten können. Der Wert jeder Anlage kann beeinträchtigt werden, und es besteht die Möglichkeit, dass die finanziellen Ziele nicht erreicht werden und die Kapitalanlage nicht zurückerhalten werden kann. Es sollte immer eine unabhängige Finanzberatung in Anspruch genommen werden, und die persönliche finanzielle Erfahrung und Situation sollten sorgfältig geprüft werden. Die Wertentwicklung in der Vergangenheit ist kein zuverlässiger Indikator für zukünftige Ergebnisse. Bitget übernimmt keine Haftung für etwaige Verluste. Die hierin enthaltenen Informationen sind nicht als Finanzberatung auszulegen. Weitere Informationen finden Sie in unseren Nutzungsbedingungen.

Ein Foto zu dieser Mitteilung finden Sie unter http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4f042830–e0ae–43ad–9503–71c971587134


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1001042288)

Bitget expande ecossistema de BGB com integração da Morph Chain e pool de liquidez de US$1,1 milhão na BulbaSwap

VICTORIA, Seychelles, Jan. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A Bitget, líder em bolsa de criptomoedas e empresa de Web3, tem o prazer de anunciar a integração cross–chain de seu token nativo, Bitget Token (BGB), na Morph Chain. Esse passo estratégico é mais um marco na expansão do ecossistema on–chain do BGB e seu compromisso em capacitar os usuários com acessibilidade e utilidade expandidas.

Com a integração, o BGB agora está disponível na Morph Bridge, facilitando transferências de token perfeitas em várias blockchains. A Bitget também lançou um pool de liquidez para BGB na BulbaSwap, o mercado central de negociação e liquidez na Morph, com o Valor Total Bloqueado (TVL) excedendo US$ 1,1 milhão poucos dias após seu lançamento. Agora, os usuários podem participar do pool de liquidez para ganhar recompensas enquanto apoiam o crescimento do ecossistema do BGB.

Para incentivar atividades on–chain relacionadas ao BGB, os participantes do evento The Great Token Migration (Morph Zoo Season 2) podem incluir o BGB em suas atividades de ponte para ganhar Morph Points. Ações elegíveis incluem transferir o BGB da Ethereum para a Morph, transferi–lo de volta da Morph para a Ethereum e manter o BGB na Morph para acumular pontos da Temporada 2. Os usuários da Bitget Wallet se beneficiam de um multiplicador de 1,2x nos pontos de ponte durante o evento.

Gracy Chen, CEO da Bitget, comentou sobre a integração: “Nosso compromisso com o crescimento e a utilidade do BGB a longo prazo continua firme. Ao transferir o BGB para a Morph Chain e introduzir novos pools de liquidez, estamos ampliando seu alcance e oferecendo mais oportunidades aos usuários. Essa integração está alinhada com nossa visão de tornar o BGB uma peça fundamental tanto em aplicativos descentralizados quanto em aplicações do mundo real, capacitando a comunidade BGB a participar plenamente do ecossistema Web3 em evolução.”

A integração com a Morph Chain está alinhada com a estratégia geral da Bitget de aprimorar a utilidade do BGB em cenários tanto on–chain quanto off–chain. Recentemente, a Bitget revelou um novo whitepaper do BGB, que descrevem seus planos ambiciosos para o futuro do token. As principais iniciativas incluem um programa de recompra e queima para estabelecer um modelo deflacionário que apoie o valor de longo prazo. A primeira fase dessa iniciativa resultou na queima de 800 milhões de BGB, o que representa 40% do suprimento total.

O whitepaper também descreve planos para posicionar o BGB como um ativo central para staking, fornecimento de liquidez e aplicativos DeFi on–chain. Além disso, a Bitget está trabalhando ativamente na integração do BGB em casos de uso PayFi, permitindo utilidade no mundo real, como pagamentos para alimentação, viagens e compras por meio do Bitget Card.

Em 2024, o BGB demonstrou um crescimento notável, alcançando um aumento de dez vezes ao longo do ano e consolidando sua posição como um dos tokens de exchange com melhor desempenho. De acordo com o CoinMarketCap, o BGB agora ocupa a 25.ª posição, com uma capitalização de mercado de 74 bilhões.

Morph é uma solução avançada de escalabilidade Layer 2 construída com base no Ethereum, projetada para aprimorar a velocidade das transações e reduzir os custos, mantendo a segurança e a descentralização do Ethereum. Apoiado por investidores de destaque, como DragonFly Capital, Pantera Capital e Foresight Ventures, a Morph lançou sua mainnet no final de 2024, introduzindo a ponte cross–chain sem interrupções e apoiando um ecossistema em crescimento de aplicativos descentralizados (dApps).

Sobre a Bitget

Fundada em 2018, a Bitget é a líder em bolsa de criptomoedas e empresa da Web3 do mundo. Atendendo a mais de 45 milhões de usuários em mais de 150 países e regiões, a Bitget tem o compromisso de ajudar os usuários a negociar de modo mais inteligente com seu recurso pioneiro de copy trading e outras soluções de negociação e, ao mesmo tempo, oferecer acesso em tempo real ao preço do Bitcoin, Ethereum e preços de outras criptomoedas. Anteriormente conhecida como BitKeep, Bitget Wallet é uma carteira de criptomoedas multicadeia de classe mundial que oferece uma variedade de soluções e recursos Web3 abrangentes, incluindo funcionalidade de carteira, swap, NFT Marketplace, navegador DApp e muito mais.

A Bitget está na vanguarda da adoção de criptomoedas por meio de parcerias estratégicas, como seu papel de Parceira Oficial de Criptomoedas da Principal Liga de Futebol do mundo, LALIGA, nos mercados do Leste, Sudeste Asiático e América Latina, bem como um parceiro global dos atletas nacionais turcos Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (campeão mundial de luta livre), Samet Gümüş (medalhista de ouro de boxe) e İlkin Aydın (equipe nacional de vôlei), para inspirar a comunidade global a abraçar o futuro da criptomoeda.

Para mais informações, acesse: Site | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

Para consultas da imprensa, entre em contato com: media@bitget.com

Aviso de risco: os preços dos ativos digitais estão sujeitos a flutuações e podem sofrer volatilidade significativa. Invista somente o que pode perder. É possível que o valor de seu investimento seja afetado e não atinja suas metas financeiras ou que você não consiga recuperar seu investimento principal. Procure sempre uma consultoria financeira independente e considere sua própria experiência e situação financeira. O desempenho no passado não é uma medida confiável do desempenho no futuro. A Bitget não se responsabiliza por possíveis perdas incorridas. Nada contido neste documento deve ser interpretado como aconselhamento financeiro. Para mais informações, consulte nossos Termos de Uso.

Uma foto que acompanha este anúncio está disponível em http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4f042830–e0ae–43ad–9503–71c971587134


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1001042288)

Bitget étend l’écosystème du BGB avec l’intégration de son jeton sur la Morph Chain et un pool de liquidités de 1,1 million de dollars sur Bulbaswap

VICTORIA, Seychelles, 09 janv. 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, principale bourse de cryptomonnaies et société Web3, est ravie d’annoncer l’intégration inter–chaînes de son jeton natif, Bitget Token (BGB), sur la Morph Chain. Cette démarche stratégique marque une nouvelle étape dans l’expansion de l’écosystème on–chain du BGB ainsi que son engagement à offrir aux utilisateurs une accessibilité et une utilité renforcées.

Grâce à cette intégration, le BGB est désormais disponible sur le Morph Bridge, ce qui facilite les transferts de jetons en toute transparence sur plusieurs blockchains. Bitget a également lancé un pool de liquidité pour le BGB sur Bulbaswap, le marché central de trading et de liquidité présent sur Morph, avec une valeur totale verrouillée (TVL) supérieure à 1,1 million de dollars quelques jours après son lancement. Les utilisateurs peuvent désormais participer au pool de liquidité afin de gagner des récompenses tout en soutenant la croissance de l’écosystème du BGB.

Afin d’encourager les activités on–chain liées au BGB, les participants de The Great Token Migration (Morph Zoo Saison 2) peuvent inclure le BGB dans leurs activités de pontage pour gagner des points Morph. Les actions éligibles incluent le pontage de jetons BGB d’Ethereum vers Morph, leur pontage de Morph vers Ethereum, et la conservation de jetons BGB sur Morph afin d’accumuler des points de la saison 2. Les utilisateurs de Bitget Wallet bénéficient d’un coefficient multiplicateur de 1,2x sur les scores de pontage obtenus au cours de l’événement.

Gracy Chen, PDG de Bitget, a commenté cette intégration : « Nous restons fermement résolus dans notre engagement envers la croissance et l’utilité à long terme du BGB. En reliant le BGB à la Morph Chain et en introduisant de nouveaux pools de liquidité, nous élargissons sa portée et offrons aux utilisateurs un plus grand nombre d’opportunités. Cette intégration reflète notre vision consistant à faire du BGB une pierre angulaire des applications décentralisées et concrètes et à permettre ainsi à la communauté du BGB de participer pleinement à l’évolution de l’écosystème Web3. »

L’intégration de la Morph Chain est conforme à la stratégie plus large de Bitget visant à améliorer l’utilité du BGB dans les scénarios on–chain et off–chain. Récemment, Bitget a dévoilé un nouveau livre blanc consacré au BGB et décrivant ses projets ambitieux pour l’avenir du jeton. Les principales initiatives concernées comprennent un programme de rachat et de destruction afin d’établir un modèle déflationniste visant à soutenir la valeur à long terme. À l’issue de la première phase de cette initiative, 800 millions de BGB ont été détruits, soit 40 % de l’offre totale.

Le livre blanc décrit également des plans visant à positionner le BGB comme un actif de base pour le jalonnement, la fourniture de liquidités et les applications DeFi on–chain. De plus, Bitget travaille activement à l’intégration du BGB dans les cas d’utilisation de PayFi, ce qui permet d’obtenir une utilité concrète qui inclut les paiements pour les repas, les voyages et les achats via la carte Bitget.

En réalisant une multiplication par dix de sa progression au cours de l’année et en consolidant sa position comme l’un des jetons d’échange les plus performants, le BGB a affiché une croissance remarquable en 2024. Avec une capitalisation boursière de 74 milliards de dollars, le BGB se classe désormais au 25e rang selon CoinMarketCap.

Morph est une solution avancée de mise à l’échelle de couche 2 basée sur Ethereum. Elle est conçue pour améliorer la vitesse des transactions et réduire les coûts tout en maintenant la sécurité et la décentralisation d’Ethereum. Avec le soutien d’investisseurs de premier plan tels que DragonFly Capital, Pantera Capital et Foresight Ventures, Morph a lancé son réseau principal fin 2024 avec l’introduction d’un pontage inter–chaînes transparent et la prise en charge d’un écosystème croissant d’applications décentralisées (dApps).

À propos de Bitget

Fondée en 2018, Bitget est la principal bourse de cryptomonnaies et société Web3 au monde. Au service de plus de 45 millions d’utilisateurs répartis dans plus de 150 pays et régions, la bourse Bitget s’engage à aider les utilisateurs à trader plus intelligemment grâce à sa fonctionnalité révolutionnaire de copy trading et ses autres solutions de trading, tout en fournissant un accès en temps réel aux cours du Bitcoin, de l’Ethereum et d’autres cryptomonnaies. Anciennement connu sous le nom de BitKeep, Bitget Wallet est un portefeuille cryptographique multichaînes d’envergure mondiale proposant une gamme de solutions et de fonctionnalités Web3 complètes, dont des fonctionnalités de portefeuille, d’échange de jetons, un marché NFT et un navigateur DApp, entre autres.

Bitget est le fer de lance de l’adoption des cryptomonnaies grâce à des partenariats stratégiques, comme en témoigne son rôle de partenaire crypto officiel de la meilleure ligue de football au monde, LALIGA, sur les marchés de l’EST, de l’ASEAN et de l’Amérique latine, ou encore son rôle de partenaire mondial des athlètes olympiques turcs Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (championne du monde de lutte), Samet Gümüş (médaillé d’or de boxe) et İlkin Aydın (équipe nationale de volley–ball). Bitget a pour vocation d’inciter la population mondiale à embrasser l’avenir des cryptomonnaies.

Pour en savoir plus, consultez : Site Internet | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

Pour les demandes de renseignements des médias, veuillez contacter : media@bitget.com

Mise en garde sur les risques : les cours des actifs numériques peuvent fluctuer et connaître une forte volatilité. Il est recommandé aux investisseurs d’investir uniquement la somme qu’ils peuvent se permettre de perdre. La valeur de votre investissement peut être affectée et il est possible que vous n’atteigniez pas vos objectifs financiers ou que vous ne parveniez pas à récupérer votre investissement principal. Nous vous encourageons à toujours solliciter les conseils d’un spécialiste financier indépendant et à tenir compte de votre expérience et de votre situation financière. Les performances passées ne constituent pas un indicateur fiable des résultats futurs. Bitget décline toute responsabilité envers toute perte potentielle encourue. Nulle disposition des présentes ne saurait être interprétée comme un conseil d’ordre financier. Pour tout complément d’information, veuillez consulter nos Conditions d’utilisation.

Une photo annexée au présent communiqué est disponible à l’adresse suivante : http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4f042830–e0ae–43ad–9503–71c971587134


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1001042288)

Developing Countries are Being Choked by Debt: This Could be the Year of Breaking Free

Credit: Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD)

By Ben Phillips
BANGKOK, Thailand, Jan 9 2025 – The debt disaster is back. Indeed, the aid agency Cafod reports that developing countries today face “the most acute debt crisis in history”.

At least 54 countries are in a debt crisis – more than double the number in 2010. A further 57 countries are at risk of debt crisis. In the past decade, interest payments for developing countries overall have risen by 64%, and for Africa by 132%.

African countries are paying over 100 billion dollars a year to creditors. The share of African countries’ budgets going on debt payments is four times higher than in 2010.

Net finance flows to developing countries are now negative – that is, debt service repayments are now higher than inflows to governments.

“It’s time to face the reality,” says World Bank Chief Economist Indermit Gill. “The poorest countries facing debt distress need debt relief if they are to have a shot at lasting prosperity. Private creditors ought to bear a fair share of the cost when the bet goes bad.”

“Debt is choking the countries of the Global South,” says the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Thabo Makgoba, “denying us what we need for health and education. Please, let us breathe!”

The scale of the crisis has not shocked world leaders into action, however. So far, the G20 debt restructuring mechanisms have come nowhere close to what is needed.

The recurrence of the debt crisis is even cynically held up as a reason not to resolve it. “They got debt forgiven in 2000,” goes the mantra, “now they are back, which means it failed and there is no helping them.”

It’s a false narrative that deliberately ignores two key points: first, that the debt cancellation secured by the broad Jubilee 2000 movement saved and transformed millions of lives, including affected countries switching from most children not completing primary school to most children completing; secondly, that the reforms needed to prevent a recurrence of catastrophic debt payment levels have been held up by creditors.

But being untrue hasn’t taken away the power of the “debt cancellation failed” story for excusing and enabling inaction.

Debt restructuring has continued to be a painfully slow, ad hoc process, dominated by rich countries and dependent on persuading creditors. That’s not a bug, it’s feature. It’s not surprising that private lenders, who today make up the largest share of creditors of affected countries’ debt, have obstructed efforts to resolve the crisis: without sufficient compulsion that is what they will continue to do.

It seems almost unnecessary to add that we have now entered an era where anything requiring multilateral cooperation has gotten even harder. And yet, 2025 also brings two powerful reasons for hope.

First, the moment.

As the first ever African chair of the G20, South Africa has seized the opportunity to lead an intergovernmental push for action on debt, successfully bringing it to the core of global economic diplomacy. The South African G20 presidency has set out a bold agenda that prioritises tackling what they name in frank terms as the “crippling sovereign debt levels that force many countries to sacrifice their developmental obligations to service unmanageable debts”.

South Africa has set out what would be transformative frame for G20 delivery: “We must take action to ensure debt sustainability for low-income countries. A key obstacle to inclusive growth in developing economies is an unsustainable level of debt which limits their ability to invest in infrastructure, healthcare, education and other development needs”.

“South Africa will seek to advance sustainable solutions to tackle high structural deficits and liquidity challenges and extend debt relief to developing economies. South Africa will also seek to ensure that the sovereign credit ratings are fair and transparent and to address high risk premiums for developing economies. Key to addressing the debt question is dealing with the Cost of Capital.”

Second, the movement.

Intergovernmental diplomacy alone, however well played, can never break through the power imbalances of global finance. The resolution of the debt crisis needs a determined and organized mass movement of people. This movement is rising.

Amongst those who are coming together in the broad Jubilee 2025 movement are civil society organisations from climate justice marchers to human rights activists, trade unions from every sector and every part of the world, and artists raising their voices to demand the breaking of the chokehold of debt.

At the heart of the Jubilee 2025 movement are the faith communities, who were also at the heart of Jubilee 2000. As the Jubilee name signifies, debt cancellation is not a mere technical economic issue, it is a moral one, with deep roots in biblical traditions and in ethical understandings of the common good.

“We urgently need a new debt Jubilee,” leaders of diverse faiths from across Africa declared in their joint call to action, “to bring hope to humankind, and bring the planet back from the brink.” Faith communities combine deep local organising and wide global networking, mobilise in the Global South and Global North amongst the most excluded and amongst the better off, and have proven to be especially hard for decision-makers to ignore.

A moment of hope, powered by a movement of hope. Debt distress need not be destiny. This is not a prediction that the campaign on debt will succeed, but rather an assessment that it has a fighting chance. “More than a question of generosity,” Pope Francis declared in his Papal Bull for 2025, debt cancellation is “a matter of justice.”

Notably, he titled the document Spes non confundit – “Hope does not disappoint.”

Ben Phillips is the author of How to Fight Inequality.

IPS UN Bureau

 


!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?’http’:’https’;if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+’://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js’;fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, ‘script’, ‘twitter-wjs’);  

India: Protests Erupt Over Hazardous Waste Disposal of Bhopal Gas Tragedy

Protests erupted over the hazardous waste disposal from the Bhopal gas tragedy. Credit: Sameer Khan/IPS

Protests erupted over the hazardous waste disposal from the Bhopal gas tragedy. Credit: Sameer Khan/IPS

By Shuriah Niazi
PITHAMPUR, India, Jan 9 2025 – An eerie calm prevails over Pithampur, a town 250 km (155 miles) away from Bhopal, the capital of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. This town witnessed widespread protests for three days last week following the transportation of large quantities of toxic waste from the site of one of the world’s worst industrial disasters in Bhopal.

On Wednesday, December 1, about 337 metric tonnes of toxic waste were transported to Pithampur in 12 containers amid tight security from Bhopal. This hazardous waste originated from the now-defunct Union Carbide Factory in Bhopal, where it had been stored for the past 40 years. The site is infamous for the tragic gas leak that occurred on the night of December 2-3, 1984, which resulted in the instant deaths of 3,500 people and thousands of others over the years.

The toxic waste from Bhopal was intended to be incinerated at Ramky Enviro Industries; however, protests escalated last week and two people even attempted self-immolation. Both are currently hospitalized. In response, the government halted the incineration process.

On Monday, the Madhya Pradesh High Court gave a six-month deadline to the government to dispose of the waste. The government told the court that it would first work to gain the trust of the residents of Pithampur and the surrounding areas before proceeding with the incineration.

In 2015, the Supreme Court had ordered a trial for the disposal of 10 metric tonnes of waste. Following this, incineration was carried out at Ramky Enviro Engineers. However, residents in the vicinity have reported concerns about negative impacts on their health and the local environment.

Crop Yield Declines

A resident from Silotiya village, situated near the factory, complained about the impact on farming.

“Earlier, this area used to produce excellent crops, but after the trial was conducted here 10 years ago and the waste was spread, our farming has suffered greatly,” Nageshwar Chaudhary told IPS. “The water in the entire region has become contaminated, and people are experiencing poor crop yields. This is why the community protested when the decision to incinerate the waste was made and the toxic waste reached here to be burnt.”

Chaudhary further said that the administration had assured locals before the trial runs in 2015 that there would be no adverse effects.

“But now the lands have become so infertile that even if we wish to sell them, no one is ready to buy,” Chaudhary claimed.

Atma Raghuvanshi from Bagdari, another village close to the Ramky Enviro Industries, said that the factory’s waste has led to the contamination of water and it is a major problem.

“People are selling their land and moving away. We’re not receiving fair prices for our land due to the pollution. The pollution has worsened because of the poisonous waste,” said Raghuvanshi.

Officials Attempt to Allay People’s Apprehension

On the other hand, the officials maintain that the incineration of toxic waste will not cause any harm.

“The disposal of this waste will not harm anyone. In 2015, we conducted a trial run where 10 tonnes of waste were incinerated, and the results were positive. Therefore, it would be wrong to claim that it will cause harm,” Swatantra Kumar Singh, Director of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department, said.

Singh also emphasized that the waste will continue to be disposed of in an environmentally safe manner.

The administration has said that special precautions were taken during the transportation of toxic waste from Bhopal and the contaminated soil from the storage area has also been brought to Pithampur.

Over 50 workers equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE) were assigned to load the waste into the containers, with teams rotating every 30 minutes.

Based on a trial run conducted in 2015, it was determined that 90 kg of waste can be incinerated per hour. At that rate, the incineration of 337 tonnes of waste could take more than five months.

“The waste from Union Carbide was transported to Pithampur following the highest safety protocols in the movement and transport of industrial waste in the country,” Singh remarked.

Various Organizations ‘Involved’ in Disposal Process

Regarding the removal of toxic waste, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav informed reporters that various Government of India organizations are involved in the disposal process.

“For the past 40 years, the people of Bhopal have been living with this waste. The transportation of this toxic waste has not impacted the environment in any way. The entire process was carried out safely. We also aim to ensure that this issue remains free from political controversy,” added Yadav.

The Supreme Court had mandated the removal of toxic waste in 2014, and recently, in December last year, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the state government to complete the removal within four weeks. Now it has issued a six-month deadline to dispose of the waste.

In August 2004, Alok Pratap Singh, a Bhopal resident, filed a petition in the Madhya Pradesh High Court requesting the removal of toxic waste from the Union Carbide premises. He also sought compensation for the environmental damage caused. Alok Pratap Singh has since passed away.

Only a Symbolic Gesture: Activist

Rachna Dhingra, from the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal, has expressed concerns that the waste transported to Pithampur represents only a small fraction of the total 1.1 million metric tonnes of toxic waste.

Dhingra slammed the government’s action as a mere “symbolic gesture” rather than a meaningful step toward addressing the larger issue.

In 2010, under the directive of the High Court, the Madhya Pradesh government commissioned the National Environmental Engineering Institute (NEERI) from Nagpur and the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) from Hyderabad to study the issue of toxic waste and its associated pollution.

The NEERI report revealed the presence of hazardous chemicals such as aldicarb, carbaryl, A-naphthol, dichlorobenzene, and mercury in the soil of the affected area. It also indicated that approximately 1.1 million metric tonnes of contaminated soil remained, which has adversely affected the health of people living around the closed Union Carbide factory in Bhopal and damaged the environment over the years.

“The quantity of waste that the government has moved from Bhopal to Pithampur constitutes less than one percent of the total hazardous waste,” Dhingra said.

According to her, the NEERI report said there are numerous dumping and landfill sites surrounding the Union Carbide factory where waste was irresponsibly disposed of.

Dhingra emphasized that hazardous substances from these chemical waste ponds have infiltrated the ground, contaminating local water sources and soil. She urged the government to address this ongoing issue, warning that neglecting it will perpetuate suffering among the community.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 


!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?’http’:’https’;if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+’://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js’;fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, ‘script’, ‘twitter-wjs’);