Bhopal Gas Tragedy

2015

Bhopal Gas Tragedy: Post Disaster Analysis of Livelihood & its Constraints In the interceding night of December 2nd and 3rd, 1984, when the city of Bhopal was sleeping, an accident due to human interventions at the Union Carbide Factory discharged extensive amount of a destructive poison methyl isocynate (MIC) into the air that was borne downstream, leaving more than 10,000 person dead afterward, and a large portion of them biting the dust in their rest. Others managed to escape the deadly fumes; however, later they were trapped into lifelong medical causality. Thousands more passed on in the weeks that took after, while several thousand experienced disabilities from the toxic substance. It is three decades now, still children get to suffer disability from the day he/she is born. The issue is why this tragedy took place? Why factory carrying so much poison was situated in the heart of the city? What happened to those slum dwellers living in the vicinity of the Carbide factory? Whether they compensated by the factory owner or by the government? All these questions need an answer.

Ashish Pugariya (1407), Anoop Ingole (1417), Gagandeep Singh (1414), Raju Kumar (1432), Vikash Kumar (1442) Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal 12-Jul-15

Objectives -

To analyze post disaster effect of Bhopal Gas Tragedy To discuss constraints related to the disaster

Problem Statement Being an Indian, we needed to recognize what the story was behind the disaster and ensuing process. The very first reaction that was incited in us was extreme sympathy for the casualties and business-world wrongdoing against voiceless people. It was Government of India's obligation to verify that there was no oversight conferred and in its quick paced track to end up developed nation, not to sidestep well being safety measures needed for endorsement of ventures. After disaster, most of them living nearby the factory were either dead or they are living in hell today. In this study, we will try to answer; what all sorts of measures that government has taken for the victims. Why victims were not taken care by government or the factory management? What are the livelihood statuses of those victims? What are those constraints that pulled back the helping hands? How natural resources are being affected since the disaster?

Methodology As per the census report death toll was 2,259, however, estimates vary. The government of Madhya Pradesh confirmed a total of 3,787 deaths related to the gas release. A government affidavit in 2006 stated that the leak caused 558,125 injuries, including 38,478 temporary partial injuries and approximately 3,900 severely and permanently disabling injuries. Others estimate that 8,000 died within two weeks, and another 8,000 or more have since died from gas-related diseases. Since the exact population was unknown so we chose ‘convenient sampling’ for the interview and focused group discussion. As per the survey, findings were broadly classified in three broad strata on the basis of immediate effects, intermediate effects and Long term effects. Findings for different strata were analyzed on four broad issues. Table 1: Comparison of different aspects of Post Disaster Effect

Aspects Health & Society

   

Environmental

 

Economical

 



Immediate Highly necroses lungs Holes appeared in the lungs Severe eye irritation Chronic conjunctivitis Migration Toxic groundwater Toxic air Seventy-five percent of Bhopal citizens are unable to work for more than a few hours at a time. Adverse effects

        



Intermediate Gynecological disorders Impotency Psychological problems Elevated rates of cancer Tuberculosis Dizziness Barren land Wetlands toxic to fish People have no money for fulfilling even basic necessities. Many people have become money lenders in the city, and some of them

Long-Term Skin defects like white patches  Weak eyesight  Neurological problems  Over morbidity 



Dispose waste



Continuing the cycle of poverty.

plant

on income. 





Legal & Political







In the February of 1985, the Indian Government filed a case in the U.S Court for a claim of $3.3 billons against the Union Carbide Corporation In March 1985, the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster (Processing of Claims) Act was passed. DOW Refused Union Carbide’s Liabilities in Bhopal, India.

 



charge up to 20% interest. Banks tend to give loans with outrageous interest fees. "Supply vs. Demand" the demand is very low, driving the suppliers out of business, lowering the supply too. Unemployment which affected Bhopal’s economy. Compensation of $470 million ($500 per dead). Complex proceedings and legal toss rounds between India and US. Case was reviewed and put up in American Court. Twenty years of passiveness.

 

Environmental Protection Act (1986) Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991

Study Area Study site was mainly Union Carbide Factory and its surroundings. Mainly affected areas were Bhopal Mandi in North, JP Nagar in South, Sajidabad in East and Firdaus Nagar in West. As one can infer from the figure that the Carbide Factory was not in outskirt of Bhopal, rather it was imbedded in old Bhopal. This storage location on site of the factory was ill-advised since the factory was located among densely populated areas (Morehouse and Subramaniam, 1986). However, the location was rejected by the municipality authorities of Bhopal, but then the Central Government gave its approval. The issue of danger and relocation of the plant when proposed in the

Figure 1: Study Area (Source: Google Maps)

Madhya Pradesh State Government assembly in December 1982, then it was dismissed by an official as “…. A sum of Rs. 25 crore has been invested in this unit. The factory is not a small stone, which can be shifted elsewhere. There is no danger to Bhopal, nor will there ever be.”

Results India, by a wide margin, still an underprivileged country in 1984 was an antiquated society, with its evolved sets of standards and conventions. Most noticeably awful of all was caste system; in which larger part of individuals fit in with the gathering of lower standings and untouchables. The untouchables are the most discouraged of every one of them. Since the processing plant began in Bhopal, individuals fitting in with such groups started moving from towns towards the factory and started hunching down in adjoining land, doing little jobs and working as servants in the employee's houses. These regions grew as shantytowns and were the initially influenced amid the catastrophe. The deferral in responses to the catastrophe may have been contributed by the way that most of the victims were from these groups. However, each victim was given 50, 000 (Rs 25000 + Rs 25000) but, there was no written records of real victims. The families of the people who died at the spot were given Rs. 8 lakh for one person’s death. Reservations of jobs in the Bhopal Railway Coach Factory were also promised. According to the findings this is not at all enough for them. Rs. 8 lakh was only given to the people who died on the spot, but what about the ones who died a month later or a year later because of the same thing. Women of the area were majorly involved in small jobs like “biddi rolling” before the disaster but now they are deprived of their livelihood, which cannot be performed now because of the vision problem they face.

Conclusion Only Anderson was not responsible for the catastrophe; government, officials and authorities were also equally responsible. The Carbide chemical plant was also seen as an employment provider and helpful for improving the living standard of poor people. It was an interesting fact that company’s relations with the state and central government were very good. May be this could be the reason that government tried to hide the facts of Disaster and not showed strong interest in acting against UCIL. Once its approval was denied then why Central Government gave approval? It is three decades now, still children get to suffer disability from the day he/she is born. Meanwhile, people are trying to get over this tragedy and have started moving into the same place where the catastrophe took place. Land nearby are encroached by daily wagers in search of their livelihood. Site of disaster is still not reclaimed properly and water and soil of that place is still contaminated. People living around are bound to drink that water and have to eat the poisonous vegetables grown on the infected fields surrounding to the place. It didn’t affect only the then population but generations after generation are affected from the poisonous gas.

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