Bhopal Gas Tragedy and its affect in common man

Bhopal Gas Tragedy and its affect in common man

Rhythm Miglani

20153009

 

Every person who has proper knowledge of Bhopal Gas tragedy shudders to even this day just when he imagines the scene that happened in Bhopal on the night between 2-3 December 1984 when lakhs of people in the sweet slumber were caught unaware suffocating, gasping for breath, falling unconscious, dying in pain watching their children helplessly crying and dying because of the Gas leak in Union Carbide India Ltd. a pesticide plant.  The Toxic gas diffusing with the air had spread steadily in the various small towns and residences exposed itself to over 5 lakhs people and hospitals were filled to their capacities.  Thousands of People died that time and lakhs were permanently disabled or partially cripped.  There were scenes of horror, which not only spread over Bhopal but the whole nation went into shock over such a big disaster, which they never saw or heard of in their history.  The cause of the disaster was the leakage of the gas because of the back flow of water in MIC (Methyl Isocyanate) tank. It was definitely a result of poor maintenance and negligence, but the company shook it off attributing as the result of sabotage.

 

 The union carbide cooperation had majority of the shares and they therefore paid $470 millions as immediate compensations and $97 millions later to settle the litigation.  A mocking as compared to the magnitude of the havoc caused.  It was whispered that the highest political authorities were behind the screens supportive of UCC.  The politicians failed to stand by the people in this the darkest hour and never bothered seriously to get back Anderson, the C.E.O. of the company and the main culprit, who had managed to run out of the country, with the alleged support of the big political powers.  In 1994 UCC sold its stake to Everyday India Ltd. and later merged with McLeod Russets (India) Ltd. Eveready terminated the 99 years old lease and threw back the control to state government of Bhopal.  All shady tricks to wriggle out of their responsibilities, civil and criminal were filled in courts of Bhopal and after 26 years in 2010, the cases ended up with seven employees including the Former Chairman of UCIL who were sentenced with 2 years of imprisonment for criminal negligence causing death and a mocking fine of $2000 each, the maximum provided under law.

 

The incident one of the worst of its kind in the history of the world, should have served as an eye opener to the administration.  The plight of thousands of people who were the target of the gas leak ended up being crippled still survive and lead to lives worse then hell.  Compensation has not reached to many of them and they weep silently; mourn at so called efficiency, integrity and working of the administration, carving for their early death to put an end to their sufferings.  They never know that their quite sleep on the night of 2-3 December 1984 will open the gates of life long horrors and imaginable sufferings to them.  This tragic incident, which was caused because of the lack of bureaucrat administration, has changed the whole administration structure, and strict entry of foreign companies to set up the industry has become tough.  Which has regulated the checks and balance of the administration corruption.