Bhopal Gas Tragedy

On december 3, 1984, one of the worst industrial disasters of the 20th century occurred in Bhopal, India, a city located in Central India's state of Madhya Pradesh. Here, at about 1 a.m., a highly poisonous vapor (methyl isocyanate, or MIC) leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide plant. This incident not only left about 300,000 people injured and about 2,000 dead immediately (it is reported that later about 15,000 people died), but also had an impact on local plants and animals. The majority of deaths and serious injuries were related to pulmonary edema, but the gas caused other ailments such as cough, dyspnea, chest pain, eyelid edema, and unconsciousness leading to acute lung injury, cardiac arrest, and death. Other problems included partial or complete blindness, gastrointestinal disorders, impaired immune systems, and post-traumatic stress disorders. After this tragedy in Bhopal there was a rise in spontaneous abortions and stillbirths; offspring with genetic defects were also noted.

There are a few reasons for leakage of MIC. Water accidentally entered the tank where MIC was stored, which started the exothermic reaction of excessive heat and eventual bursting of the tank's safety valve. The pressure of this burst even broke the concrete of the tank, releasing MIC. With a chimney height of just 30 meters and high moisture content [Page 113]in the discharge, the heavy gas sank to the ground. The weak winter wind changed direction quickly, which contributed to the spread of the gas and covered a large area in a short period of time. But the main reason for the tragedy is a combination of human factors and the faulty design of the safety system. According to some reports, part of the safety equipment was faulty, and by the time the alarm was sounded, an hour had elapsed since the gas was released into the atmosphere. Some other causes have been debated, but there seems to be a combination of human and technical fault—the same plant experienced six accidents between 1981 and 1984. These accidents should have alerted the authorities, but were neglected. India, a poor nation with a need for pesticides, did not raise any concern.

The Indian government sued Union Carbide for $3 billion, and the case was settled in 1989 for $470 million, but very little money reached the victims of the tragedy. Even more than two decades after the accident, due to lack of political will and resources, the environment surrounding the plant are still laced with toxic wastes. The plant and the surrounding areas are still contaminated, causing slow poisoning and diseases in humans, destroying the local biodiversity, and affecting the ecosystem. The contamination of groundwater (the main source of drinking water) in the neighboring areas of Union Carbide was a serious problem even before the tragedy hit Bhopal. The condition has worsened since then because the area has not been cleaned.

The Bhopal gas tragedy is one of the worst industrial disasters in history, but it did start a public debate on the hazards of the chemical industry, which led the Chemical Manufacturing Association to start the Responsible Care Program. The main goal of the Responsible Care Program is to improve community awareness, emergency response, and employee health and safety. The tragedy also started an environmental movement in India and has made the general public more aware of the impacts of industrial accidents. Following this tragic event, Indian Environmental legislations have also undergone drastic changes. The Ministry of Environment and Forests has been created to administer and enforce environmental laws and policies, and an Environment Protection Act was passed in 1986. The ministry was established to integrate environmental strategies into all industrial development plans for the country, but in spite of all these commitments to the environment and public health, development has taken precedence.

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