Bhopal Gas Tragedy

Thirty years ago on December 3, 1984, a union carbide pesticide factory in the city of Bhopal, India, released at least 30 tons very toxic gas gases called methyl isocyanate and a number of other poisonous gases. The union carbide factory is surrounded by a slum town that is caused more than 600.00 people to be hit by a deadly gas cloud that night. The gases remain low to the ground, causing victims of throat and eyes to burn, causing nausea, and many deaths. Estimates of the death toll varied from at least 3,800 to as many as 16,000, but government figures now refer to estimates of 15,000 killed over the years.

Toxic substances remain, and 30 years later, many were exposed to gas when they gave birth to physically and mentally handicapped children. For decades, survivors have been trying to clean up the site, but they say efforts have slowed down when Michigan-based Dow Chemical took over Union Carbide in 2001. Human rights groups say that thousands of tons of hazardous waste remain buried under land, and the government recognizes the area is contaminated. However, there are no long-term epidemiological studies that conclusively prove that birth defects are directly related to drinking contaminated water.

Explaine that the tragedy of gas leaking is due to water entering the MIC tank and causing chemical reactions so that the pressure in the MIC tank gets higher and opens the valve and the gas leaked out. But some investigation said that this tragedy is caused by the existence of sabotage. An  investigation by the engineering consulting corporation Arthur D. Little, Inc., said that the water could only have been added into the tank deliberately, considering that process safety might have avoided water from entering the tank through accident..

A year after the leaked, in 1985

Union Carbide started raising funds for the victims and collected as much as $120,000. UCC began sending medical devices and launching a program to examine the impact of this tragedy. The Indian government also began to implement laws on disaster leakage in Bhopal.

In 1986, the Union Carbide Company proposed $10 million to build a hospital and after that he offered  500-600 million to compensate for the victims of the disaster.

 After 10 years, the Union Carbide Company sold their 50.9% stake and was approved by the Indian court. The proceeds of the sale were used to build a hospital in Bhopal.

20 years later the Indian Supreme Court Orders the Releasing of Remaining Settlement Funds for Victims

Fifteen years after reaching a settlement, the Indian Supreme Court ordered the Indian Government to release all additional settlement funds to the victims. News reports indicate that there are around $327 million in funds as a result of interest earned on the remaining money after all claims have been paid.

And now there are many people that still affected by the tragedy , there are many victims who bear children that physically and mentally disabled due to the tragedy.