On December 2, 1984, in the early hours of the morning, one of the worst industrial tragedies in history happened in the city of Bhopal, which is in the middle of India. It was getting dangerous in Tank Number 610 of Plant Number C at the Union Carbide chemical plant in Bhopal, which was a sign of progress in industry.
Official records show that methyl isocyanate mixed with the water that was used to cool the plant. A huge amount of gases were released when the tank cover gave way under the pressure of the gases. About 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other chemicals were sent into the air.
At 21ppm (parts per million) quantity in the air, MIC is very dangerous and can kill within minutes of breathing it in. In Bhopal, the quantity was many times higher than this level. As the cool morning breeze picked up speed, it brought the poisonous gas leaking from the Union Carbide plant across the city. Records show that about 3,787 people died within hours of the event from the poisonous gas, many of them while they were sleeping.
The Bhopal Gas Tragedy had effects that went beyond the instant effects. These effects were felt by survivors and people who would come after them. Long-term deaths were thought to be between 15,000 and 20,000. In a statement from 2006, the government admitted that the Bhopal gas leak caused 5,58,125 injuries, with about 3,900 of them being severe enough to make them forever unable to work.
In 1984, more than half of the people who lived in Bhopal, which had a population of about 850,000, had coughing, eye and skin discomfort, and breathing problems. A lot of health problems happened because of the gas, from eye and lung problems to lost motor skills and mental trauma. The villages and slums close to the plant were hit the hardest.
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What Happened in Bhopal Gas Tragedy?
The gas leak was made public just after 1:00 am. This set off a chain of events that showed how unprepared and chaotic the government and the plant were. Town officer Chahat Ram Singh sent a wireless message to the police room about the gas leak just after 1:00 am. He was on patrol near the factory at the time. The reaction that followed, on the other hand, showed an unbelievable lack of preparation and communication problems.
When the city’s police chief, Swaraj Puri, got to the control room at 1:30 am, things were very bad and no one knew exactly what had happened. In an interview with India Today Magazine in 1984, Bhopal Commissioner Ranjeet Singh talked about the strange events that happened. The city fell into chaos a la Kafka, with people running around in a mess and broken glass and shoes all over the roads.
Because of how quickly things needed to be handled, hospitals were called in, and the army jumped into action, led by Major GS Khanuja, who organized constant evacuations to military and Hamidia hospitals even though it put his own life at risk.
The problem wasn’t just with the plant; it also affected how Union Carbide responded. Employees at the company told Works Manager J Mukund about the accident, but the city’s extra district judge told him about it.
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It was shocking that it took 45 minutes for him to be told about the gas leak after it was confirmed at 1:00 am. It was unclear why there weren’t any communication tools, like walkie-talkies, that could have told higher management about the problem. As the night went on, it became clear that the administrative system wasn’t working right. Over 100,000 people who lived near the plant ran away, making it impossible for the limited public transportation to keep up.
Survivors of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy
Today is the 39th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. On Friday, an NGO said that people who were exposed to the gas leak during the disaster were more than three times more likely to have diabetes, coronary arterial disease, neuropathies, and arthritis than people who had never been exposed to gas.
Nitesh Dubey, a clinic registration assistant for the Sambhavna Trust, which helps gas tragedy victims, said, “Data from our clinic since January 1, 2022 shows that of the 6,254 people who got care, diabetes, coronary arterial disease, neuropathies, and arthritis were more than three times more common in gas-exposed people than in people who had never been exposed to gas.”
Conclusion
On December 2, 1984, the Union Carbide chemical plant in Bhopal, India, released methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas, causing a massive explosion that killed 3,787 people. The incident resulted in 5,58,125 injuries, with 3,900 severe enough to permanently disable work. The gas caused respiratory issues, eye and lung problems, and mental trauma, particularly in the villages and slums near the plant.
The government and plant were unprepared and chaotic, leading to over 100,000 people fleeing the area. Today marks the 39th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, with an NGO revealing that those exposed to the gas leak were more than three times more likely to develop diabetes, coronary arterial disease, neuropathies, and arthritis.