Sustainable Development : A case study of Bhopal Disaster 1984

by

Dr.Sharmistha Mukherjee

Abstract

This paper attempts to look into the aspect of sustainable development in relation to human
and social well-being. The high GDP of any country and specially in India will not matter so
much as much as the people's well-being. It is always preferable to live in a safe environment
, which directly or indirectly brings us to the subject matter of sustainable development. The
study further strengthens the subject matter of sustainable development as the case study of
Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984 is discussed and analysed in the light of fast growth , high GDP ,
high industrialisation , high economic growth , development. Its true our country should
work for development, growth but not at the cost of human lives , by harming human life
and also the life and health of the future generation. To prevent disasters like Bhopal we
need to strengthen our environmental laws, so that in future not a single human life is lost
due to cruel industrial disaster. Sustainable development will be meaningful if these
phenomenon are kept in mind and followed strictly by government and our policy makers
which requires a people oriented government policy.

keywords : well being , humanity , environment , industrial disaster, industrial catastrophe,

chemicals , pollutants, hazardous gas

Introduction

We all desire to live on this earth which is clean , safe , free from pollution ,it may be the
soil, water , air which has a relation to our day to day life. Sustainable development in a very
simplistic form enhances the idea mentioned above. One of the major transformation in our
human lives is the invention of machines, development of science and technology. Science is
a blessing in human life at the same time we need to think and move cautiously. For the
past hundred years machines, factories, industry and similar things have moved in very fast
and significantly in human lives. The only caution is very cautious and safe use of technology
, chemicals will prevent human mishap and further enhance sustainable development. No
doubt science technology relates to development , but we also need sustainable
development , so that our future generation gets the clean environment , clean soil free
from toxic acid and other chemicals , clean water free from pollutants, be it hazardous
chemical waste or the industrial waste or the hospital wastes (mainly the syringe, the
expired medicines).

Background of the Case Study

This paper will highlight some points related to the incident of Bhopal Union Carbide India
Limited ( UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, or Dow Chemical's the world's worst industrial
tragedy. Union Carbide an American company set up the factory. In the 70's , the Indian
government initiated policies to encourage foreign companies to invest in local industries.

The UCIL factory was built in 1969 to produce the pesticide Sevin (UCC's brand name for
carbary) using methyl isocyanate (MIC) as an intermediate. A MIC production plant was
added in 1979. After the Bhopal plant was built, other manufacturers , including Bayer,
produced carbarye without MIC, though at a greater manufacturing cost. Bayer also used
the UCC process at the chemical plant once owned by UCC at a institute West Virginia, USA.

The UCIL factory was built in 1969 to produce the pesticide Sevin ( UCC'S brand name for
carbary) using methyl isocyanate (MIC) as an intermediate. A MIC production plant was
added in 1979. After the Bhopal plant, other manufacturers, including Bayer , produced
carbaryl without MIC , though at a greater manufacturing cost.

The Bhopal UCIL facility housed three underground 15000 gallon liquid MIC storage tanks
E610, E611, E619. Liquid MIC production was in progress and being used to fill these tanks.
UCC safety regulations specified that no one tank should be filled more than 50 percent
(here , 30 tonnes) with liquid MIC. Each tank was pressurized with inert nitrogen tank. This
pressurization allowed liquid MIC contained within which could not be pumped out. In late
October 1984 , tank E610 lost the ability to hold most of its nitrogen gas pressure. It meant
the liquid MIC contained within could not be pumped out. At the time of the failure, tank
E610 contained 42 tonnes of liquid MIC.

Before the Disaster

In early December, 1984, most of the plant's MIC related safety systems were not
functioning and many valves and lines were in poor condition. In 1976 two local trade
unions complained of pollution within the plant. In 1981, a worker accidentally splashed
with phosgene as he was doing a maintenance job of the plant's pipes. In panic he removed
his gas mask and inhaled a large amount of toxic phosgene gas , leading to his death in just
72 hours. A series of such events of the above mentioned were repeating in 1982, 1983 and
1984.

The Tragedy of 2nd December 1984

People near the plant and few kilometres away woke up feeling breathlessness, stomach
pain vomiting , burning sensation in the respiratory tract , burning sensation in the eyes. The
small children inhaled a lot of the poisonous gas. There was a cloud composition formed of
this poisonous gas. Almost 2000 animals among which buffalo , cow goat and others were
buried. The fish , birds all living creatures died immediately.

Long Time Health Effects

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) was forbidden to publish the data related to the
disaster it caused to human health of workers as well as people in that geographical area till
1994. A total of 36 wards were marked by the authorities as being "gas affected", affecting a
population of 5,20,000 of which 2,00,000 were below 15 and 3000 pregnant women. The
official immediate death toll was 3928.

Besides people had respiratory tract infection, conjunctivitis, early cataracts , corneal
opacities and a large number of cancer cases.

Present Situation

After the factory was closed in 1986, pipes, drums and tanks were sold. The toxic material
spread in the area started seeping in the soil and water. There was not much done regarding
the disposal of the toxic waste material. Chemicals abandoned in the plant continue to leak
and pollute the groundwater. In 2004, BBC Radio 5 , broadcast reported the site is
contaminated with toxic chemicals including benzene hexachloride and mercury , held in
open containers. WHO reports say that the water contamination is 500 times higher than
the maximum limits.

The Dow Chemical Bhopal gas tragedy was a catastrophe till date has no parallel in the
world history, besides of course Hitler's Gas chamber killing of Jews.

An Overview

The event in Bhopal revealed that expanding industrialization in developing countries

without concurrent education safety regulations could have catastrophic consequences, for
the future too as it hinders the very concept of sustainable development. Bhopal and its
aftermath were a warning that the path of industrialization , for developing countries in
general and India in particular , is fraught with human , environmental and economic perils.
The Indian economy is growing at tremendous rate but at the cost of human health, public
safety, present environment keeping the future environment of this land at stake. Post
Bhopal era saw worldwide regulation of chemicals and checks on toxic material and a
demand by communities to the right to information and to be participants in the process of
industry-siting. Anderson was the CEO of Dow Chemicals in the USA, he was called by the
government of India and then the matter was under the legal process, where Supreme
Court of India was also part. The victims of the tragedy got very less compensation. What
happened to the money was a mystery. USA the country whose company Dow Chemical
increased its regulatory activity. One major step forward came through the setting up of
Toxic Release Inventory and other freedom of information measures that greatly increased
public access to information on toxic chemical release.

In India however community struggles have little success in gaining the "right to know"
where by people can identify any contaminated sites in their areas. Most of the people
living around this area were poor and uneducated. Most of the residents are not aware of
the contamination, continue to consume it because the government has not provided any
alternative source of potable water. By the year 2000 the government agencies have
confirmed the presence of several life -threatening poisons such as mercury and other
heavy metals , chlorinated pesticides and pollutants in the scattered waste. According to
(NEERI ) National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, the factory area
recorded a high concentration of toxic wastes , indicating the possibility of contamination of
"higher depths" groundwater contamination is still to be examined.

The available literature reveals very poisonous gas not only harmed the Bhopal victims in
1984 but the damage continues till the present day and will cause further damage in near
future. The gas very poisonous gas has already percolated inside the earth , reached to great
depth in both the soil and groundwater. The mingling of the gas has already happened as
there were lack of disposal of the waste. Now the future generation will do farming in this
land where soil and water both are poisonous. Human health will face a severe crisis as the
danger of very polluted land , water and environment looms large on us. So , the very
concept of sustainable development is being challenged as we have to re think honestly
where the government policy plays a huge role in regulating the industries , be it pesticide ,
chemicals , mercury , metal steel any industry should go through thorough examination,
regulation before a " NO OBJECTION CERTIFICATE". It certainly need to seriously introspect
as it has got to do with human life , or any life be it animals and the future of our planet. We
need very strict , people oriented environmental laws and its appropriate utilization.

Conclusion

Bhopal Gas tragedy shook India and the world with the worst industrial catastrophe in
industrial history killing almost 4000 people in 24 hours , where large numbers were infants
and children ,mostly workers living near the factory and affecting almost 5,00,000 people.
We want to live and not die and we want our future generation to be safe , who can breathe
the clean air and drink clean water, Bhopal gas emission or leakage is no less a horror to
human life and sustenance. We cannot move ahead with sustainable development with
Bhopal kind of incidents. Our government needs to be very strict with their industrial policy
which urgently needs to be people oriented. We need more awareness among the common
folk so that they understand if they are exposed to such human hazards in form of chemicals
, gas , mercury etc. We further require strict environmental laws for regulating the
functioning of any industry so that sustainable development can be achieved. The
unregulated growth of hazardous toxic industries are certainly a challenge for the future of
human life or living organism on this planet earth including our country India as our future is
human and social well being .
Bibliography

Books

Lapierre , Dominique and Javier Moro (2009) "Five Past Midnight in Bhopal : The Epic story
of the World's Deadliest Industrial Disaster" Grand Central Publishing.

Mukherjee , Suroopa (2002) "Bhopal Gas Tragedy : The Worst industrial Disaster in Human
History" Rupa and Company.

Prajapati ,H.L (2003) "Gas Tragedy : An eye Witness" Mittal Publications, New Delhi 59.

Shastri , Lalit " Bhopal Disaster: An Eye Witness Account "

Journal

Broughton, Edward (2005) , "The Bhopal Disaster and its aftermath: a review"
Environmental Health ,v 4;2005.

Narain, Sunita (2014), "30 Years of Bhopal Gas Tragedy: A continuing disaster " Down to
Earth ,

Nair ,Malini (2005) " Bhopal gas Tragedy - A Social Economic , Legal and environmental
Analysis " Munich Personal RePEc Achieve MPRA

News

Chris Morris (2010) "Indian Government Re-Examines 1984 Bhopal Disaster " BBC News

Website

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/coverage/30-years-of-bhopal-gas-tragedy-a-continuing-
disaster-47634

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1142333/

https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/37856/1/

Online at
http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/37856/
MPRA Paper No. 37856, posted 8. April 2012 16:32 UTC

http://www.bbc.com/news/10354583