" Bhopal Gas Tragedy: 40 Years of Injustice", 2 December 2024

As the world marks the 40th anniversary of the disaster, what lessons should we take from what happened on that awful night? I think perhaps there are at least three important ones. First, and perhaps most obviously, is that a single tragic event can have consequences that last generations.

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It is now estimated that more than 22,000 people have died as a direct result of exposure to the leak, while more than half a million people continue to suffer some degree of permanent injury.

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Over the years that followed, a large number of children born to gas-exposed parents have been affected by growth retardation, birth defects, and other medical conditions.

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to this day, thousands of tons of toxic waste remain buried in and around the abandoned plant. This has contaminated residents’ water supplies and harmed their health

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An unfortunate second lesson of the Bhopal tragedy is how easy it has been for UCC to escape accountability.

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from the start, UCC’s response to the disaster was inadequate and callous. For example, although thousands of people were dying from gas exposure, or suffering agonizing injuries, UCC withheld critical information regarding MIC’s toxicological properties, undermining the effectiveness of the medical response.

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To this day, UCC has failed to name any of the chemicals and reaction products that leaked along with MIC on that fateful night.

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there is a third lesson to be drawn from the tragedy and its aftermath. It can be found in the inspiring story of the survivor groups and their supporters, who over 40 years have refused to give up their fight for justice. They have initiated or intervened in many legal actions; conducted scientific research into the contamination and health impacts; and they have launched practical initiatives in the absence of sufficient state and corporate support.