Bhopal, 02 December (HS). People have still not been able to forget the world’s worst industrial tragedy that took place on the night of 2-3 December in 1984 in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh. Even now the people here are forced to bear its brunt. Toxic gas methyl isocyanate leaked from the Union Carbide factory and thousands of people died. Tuesday, December 3 marks the 40th anniversary of this horrific tragedy, but till now neither the victims have got justice nor the waste lying in the Union Carbide premises has been destroyed. There is no hope of its settlement even in the near future.
Even after so many years, physically and mentally disabled children are being born in the families of people who came in contact with poisonous gas. According to government figures, 3787 people died due to the gas tragedy and about 5,58,125 people were affected by the gas. However, many NGOs have claimed that the death toll was between 10 to 15 thousand. Many people became victims of various types of physical disabilities, including blindness. According to various estimates, about eight thousand people died within two weeks, while about eight thousand others died due to diseases related to the leaked gas.
How did the accident happen?
About 40 tonnes of gas had leaked from the Union Carbide factory. The reason for this was that poisonous methyl isocyanate gas was mixing with water in tank number 610. Due to the chemical process that took place, pressure was created in the tank. Due to this the tank opened and gas started leaking. It took only three minutes for the poisonous gas to put people to death.
What was made in this factory-
Union Carbide factory produced dangerous pesticides like carbaryl, aldicarb and sebidol. The plant also used persistent and toxic metals such as mercury and cesium. The agriculture department of the government was a major buyer of those pesticides. Pesticides were exported from the Bhopal factory to other countries and India earned export duty from it. Experts say that under the guise of pesticides, this factory also manufactured some such banned deadly and dangerous products, which were not allowed to be manufactured in America and other western countries.
Even after 40 years, poisonous waste is buried under the earth.
Bhopal gas tragedy is going to complete 40 years on 3rd December, but even after so many years, toxic waste is buried in the Union Carbide premises. Due to this, it has been verified that groundwater is polluted. This fact has come to light in the report of Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow in the year 2018. According to the report, heavy metal, organochlorine was found in the groundwater of 42 settlements around the Union Carbide complex, which may be responsible for cancer and kidney disease. After this, Narmada water is being supplied in this area on the instructions of the Supreme Court. There is a possibility that the polluted groundwater may have reached beyond these colonies, but no investigation was conducted after 2018.
A few years ago, the state government had decided to dispose of about 350 million tonnes of waste lying in the Union Carbide complex in Ankleshwar, Gujarat and at that time the Gujarat government was also ready for this, but due to the agitation by the people of Gujarat regarding this. After this the Gujarat government refused to bring the garbage there. After this, the government decided to destroy the garbage in Pithampur in Dhar district of the state and 40 m. Tons of garbage was also burnt there, but after this matter came to light, the Madhya Pradesh government itself withdrew from it after the protest movement here.
After this, the Supreme Court ordered to destroy the waste in the incinerator located at DRDO in Nagpur, but the Pollution Prevention Board of Maharashtra did not allow it and the Maharashtra Government also refused to burn the garbage in Nagpur. The state government once again took refuge in the Supreme Court and the court ordered inspection of the incinerator located in Nagpur, but the court was told that the incinerator located there is not capable of destroying such a large amount of toxic waste. The government also considered destroying garbage in Kajola, Maharashtra, but due to the pollution prevention board not giving permission, this matter was put on hold. Due to which thousands of tonnes of garbage was lying in the premises till date and is still lying there.
Due to the presence of this waste, underground pollution spreads and many types of diseases also persist. Members of Bhopal Group for Information and Action say that the impact of the world’s biggest gas tragedy is still visible. In a research conducted by the National Institute for Research on Environmental Health, an organization under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), it was found that the poisonous gas also had adverse effects on pregnant women. Due to this, congenital diseases are occurring in children. He alleged that the government not only did not allow the ICMR report to be published, but rather suppressed the report. The toxic gas also affected pregnant women. Due to this, congenital diseases are occurring in children. The government did not allow the ICMR report to be published. The report was suppressed.
Due to Union Carbide’s toxic waste, the nearby groundwater became polluted 562 times more than the standard level. More than 10 thousand metric tons of garbage is still buried under the ground in and around the factory. For the last several years, mixing with rain water has made the groundwater of more than 50 thousand people of 14 settlements poisonous. CSE’s research found toxic chemicals three kilometers away from the campus and at a depth of 30 meters.
The workers of the Gas Victims Organization claim that apart from these, they also tested with the Rapid Kit in 29 other colonies within the radius of three and a half kilometers of the factory and found organochlorine, but its quantity is being investigated on a large scale by the government. There is a need to get it done.
Rachna Dhingra, a social activist working for the gas victims, said that before the tragedy, poisonous chemical waste was buried by making pits in the premises itself. Apart from this, toxic waste was also transported through pipelines to three small ponds built in the complex. There is no talk of this garbage. Rs 126 crore is being spent to destroy the waste kept in the factory. It is to be burnt in Pithampur.
KK Dubey, Deputy Secretary of the Non-Relief Department, says that all permissions have been received to destroy the waste kept in the plant in the Union Carbide premises. This will soon be sent for destruction. Only after this the waste buried in the ground will be considered. The department does not have any research as to how much garbage is buried in the ground and what harm is being caused by it.
Rs 129 crore could not be spent after 14 years in the amount received for rehabilitation.
On the instructions of the Supreme Court, Rs 272 crore was sanctioned in the year 2010 for the rehabilitation of gas victims. In this, 75 percent of the amount was from the Central Government and 25 percent from the State Government. Even in this, Rs 129 crore has not been spent till date. The Gas Relief and Rehabilitation Department has not been able to plan to spend this amount till date. Rs 104 crore was received for economic rehabilitation. Of this, Rs 18 crore is left and the remaining amount was spent on self-employment training. Rs 40 crore was received for social rehabilitation, in which there is also a provision for pension for the widows of gas victims. 4399 women are getting pension. Since 2011, this amount is one thousand which has not been increased. Nor has any new beneficiary been included.
It is noteworthy that in the year 1984, thousands of people had died and lakhs of people were affected due to the gas leakage of Union Carbide factory in the intervening night of 02 and 03 December in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh. Thousands of affected people are still forced to suffer its ill effects. It has been 40 years since that tragedy, but the wounds of the victims are still fresh. A research has revealed the fact that people living in the colony of Bhopal gas victims have 10 times more cancer of kidney, throat and lungs compared to people living in other areas. Apart from this, the number of TB and paralysis patients is also very high in this colony. More than five lakh people were affected in this gas tragedy, out of which thousands died on the spot and those who survived are forced to die every moment despite being alive due to various serious diseases. . Many of these people are suffering from many serious diseases including cancer.
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Hindusthan News / Mukesh Tomar
