Bhopal: A Legal, Environmental and Human Disaster
“A Hand in Things to Come” Union Carbide comes to India : 1972
UCIL factory to produce pesticide (Sevin) in the center of Bhopal. Photo credit : Raghu Rai
Biases in Establishment of the Factory Sited in a poor neighborhood No community involvement No disaster planning or evacuation plan
The UCIL Factory A lethal process using MIC Inferior technology Cost cutting from safety features of factory
Disaster strikes at midnight Dec2-3rd, 1984 while Bhopal is asleep.
Dream turns into a nightmare. Photo credit: Raghu Rai Caused blindness, edema, vomiting and excretion. Hamidia was the only hospital. Dream turns into a nightmare. Photo credit: Raghu Rai
Death estimates vary from 3000 to 10,000 that night Death estimates vary from 3000 to 10,000 that night. Photo credit: Raghu Rai
Dysfunctional Safety Features
40 tonnes of MIC held without refrigeration.
Medical Response: At Hamidia Hospital
Badly damaged eyes and lungs. Photo credit: Raghu Rai
Biased Treatment of Survivors Composition of MIC for medical support – not revealed till today! Chaotic treatment of impoverished survivors. Blind hysterectomy suggested in gynecological problems. All studies by ICMR stopped in 1992. No support for Trans-generational abnormalities
Compensation Running between legal systems of India and US Original suit: $3.3 billion; Settled for: $470 million $500 per affected Bhopali family Versus $900 per affected US sea otter (Exxon Valdez oil spill). Representation of all victims and survivors by Govt. of India
The soil & water of Bhopal have been contaminated. WARNING! Trespassers will NOT be prosecuted. The soil & water of Bhopal have been contaminated.
Results of Study done by Shristi [Surviving Bhopal, 2002] Heavy Metals (in ppm) VOC Halo-organics Pesticides Samples Chromium Nickel Mercury Lead Chlorobenzenes Dichloromethane Chloroform HCH isomer Soil 0.647 1.032 0.568 0.137 0.932 0.103 6.546 1.605 Ground water 0.012 1.099 0.057 0.026 0.006 1.636 0.849 0.011 Vegetables 0.475 0.596 0.837 0.191 0.132 0.028 7.506 0.021 Breast milk ND 0.097 0.129 0.149 2.854 0.359 1.594 2.392
Water contaminants in Bhopal against standards Chromium (ug/Liter) Nickel Mercury Lead Chloroform 50 (BIS) 848 (Bhopal) 30 (ICRCL) 982 (Bhopal) 1 127 (Bhopal) 15 (USEPA) 30 (Bhopal) 100 (USEPA) 848 (Bhopal) BIS - Bureau of Indian Standards ICRCL – Interdepartmental Comm. for the redevelopment of contaminated land (UK). USEPA – United States Environment Protection Agency
Women’s daily lives revolve around water.
Rehabilitation: Sambhavna Clinic
We all live in …