Bhopal Incident 1984

http://calcuttatube.com/bhopal-panel-meets-for-third-day-discusses-environmental-issues/100292/

I just happened to be reading the recent environmental news, and spotted the newest updates on the Bhopal Incident. I did a project on the Bhopal Incident a few months ago and so I find it absolutely stunning that they are still discussing the same things they should have settled 25 years ago. If you do not know what happened during the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, you might want to look at this video to have a good summary.





Basically, the Bhopal Gas tragedy is the world's worst industrial tragedy till date. It happened on December 2-3, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. A leak of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other toxins from the plant, resulting in the exposure of over 500,000 people. The official death toll is uncertain because the government ofMadhya Pradesh confirmed a total of 3,787 deaths while other government agencies estimated 15,000 deaths.

The toxic gases from the factory flooded the city of Bhopal when people were deep in their sleep. Many woke up with a burning sensation in their lungs, coughing, vomiting, severe eye irritation and a feeling of suffocation. Some were blinded permanently.

Since 1984, the government has tried to improve the living conditions in Bhopal, but with minimal success. The amount of compensation offered to the living by the government is drastically insufficient, considering the permanent damages people suffered. There's a huge fingerpointing game thereafter, where some still demand Dow Chemical, which took over Union Carbide to compensate the surviving victims.

What I am surprised with right now is the speed of how things are settled. After 25 years, the group of ministers are still talking about the amount of additional compensation they should provide to the families of victims, or the survivors. Even now, they are considering the legal implications should the government decide to reopen the case against Union Carbide and provide healthcare to the victims. I feel that although there is a huge controversy on who was at fault for the Bhopal Incident, we still cannot deny Union Carbide's responsibility in handling the disaster.

The disaster was so huge, even till today, the effects are evident in the soil that the people plant their crops in, in the sea where people find food in. Such disasters should not be taken lightly, and the effects should never be allowed to be dragged on because people's lives, future generation's lives are at stake.

I understand that India is still a developing nation, and the very fact that it does not have much bargaining power when dealing with major multinational companies means that it will face lots of difficulty when demanding compensation for the victims. However, having said that, I feel that it is the government's job to do the best it can to protect its people. Hence the ministers need to seriously do justice for its people.


-- I decided not to post any photographs because it might make people feel uneasy--