The process of unloading 337 tonnes of hazardous waste, transported from Bhopal-based defunct Union Carbide factory in container trucks, began at an incineration unit in Pithampur industrial area in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district on Thursday, an official said.

He said the exercise, which began at around 3 pm by adhering to all safety norms, was launched in the presence of local representatives and administration, more than 40 years after the world's worst industrial disaster which occurred when a highly toxic gas leaked from Union Carbide's pesticide plant.

Only the containers packed with chemical waste are being unloaded, and no burning process is being carried out as of now, the official maintained.

In January, protests had rocked Pithampur, around 50 km from Dhar district headquarters, after the waste was brought to a private facility for incineration. Those objecting to the move claimed it would harm the local residents' health and the environment.

Pithampur SDM Pramod Singh Gujar, in an audio and visual clip, said, "We have brought local representatives to the Ramky plant, where containers are parked. The waste is being unloaded from the trucks following all safety regulations."

"The claims about the start of burning process are incorrect. No misinformation or false rumours should be spread. The waste is being unloaded from the trucks in the presence of all representatives, and no further activity is taking place at the unit," Gujar said.

On Wednesday, a group of people performed 'shavasana' (corpse pose) to protest against the disposal of waste in Dhar district.

According to the state government, the waste transported from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, located around 250km from Dhar, comprises soil, reactor residues, sevin (pesticide) residues, naphthol and semi-processed remnants.

The Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board has said scientific evidence suggests the chemical effects of sevin and naphthol in the waste have now become "nought".

After the protests, the local administration has launched an intense public awareness campaign to allay apprehensions about the waste disposal.

Intermittent protests have been going on in Pithampur ever since the waste was transported to the industrial town.

A dozen people, including members of the Pithampur Bachao Samiti, Pithampur Raksha Samiti and yoga exponent Pradeep Dubey, performed "shavasana" at the Pithampur bus stand at around noon as part of their protest on Wednesday.

On the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas (MIC) leaked from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, killing at least 5,479 people and leaving thousands with serious health problems and long-term disabilities.