Yesterday, Bhopal was on the front page of the NY Times! It is about time. Other countries, such as the UK, have been aware and involved for many years.
Dec. 3, 1984, 40 tons of methyl isocyanate gas, 5 times as lethal as cyanide when in this form, was released from the Union Carbide factory, killing an estimated 3,000 people while they slept, unaware of the accident. Others died in a horrific fashion, en masse, running from their homes. Half of the pregnant mothers miscarried their babies that night.
At that time, $ 550.00, on average, was given as compensation to those affected by the accident, which was estimated to be at least 500,000 people. Since that time, serious health problems have plagued the people of Bhopal and their children, whose drinking water has been polluted by the leaching of 5,000 tons of toxic waste into the ground surrounding the Union Carbide factory, which was abandoned by that company in 1999.
Bhopalis have been trying to persuade the Indian State government of Madhya Pradesh and Dow chemical to clean up the mess. Dow chemical, which purchased the Union Carbide plant in 2001, claims no responsibility for the clean-up. Read the NY Times story here.
To become more informed about the Bhopali action, see their website.
For more information about Bhopali's current medical problems, read about the Bhopal medical appeal and Sambhvana Clinic built in Bhopal. There, you can see photographs of the distaster and its aftermath, read a survivor's account of the disaster, about the individual cases and stories of the Bhopalis. To read the story of Amir and other damaged children born in the area affected by the Union Carbide factory toxic waste, see Amir's story.
Thank you for reading about this. Now, take action!
Only by becoming more informed and taking action as a group can individual people make a difference in the world. - Anonymous.
Together, we can make the world a less unjust place for everyone. - Anonymous.
Dec. 3, 1984, 40 tons of methyl isocyanate gas, 5 times as lethal as cyanide when in this form, was released from the Union Carbide factory, killing an estimated 3,000 people while they slept, unaware of the accident. Others died in a horrific fashion, en masse, running from their homes. Half of the pregnant mothers miscarried their babies that night.
At that time, $ 550.00, on average, was given as compensation to those affected by the accident, which was estimated to be at least 500,000 people. Since that time, serious health problems have plagued the people of Bhopal and their children, whose drinking water has been polluted by the leaching of 5,000 tons of toxic waste into the ground surrounding the Union Carbide factory, which was abandoned by that company in 1999.
Bhopalis have been trying to persuade the Indian State government of Madhya Pradesh and Dow chemical to clean up the mess. Dow chemical, which purchased the Union Carbide plant in 2001, claims no responsibility for the clean-up. Read the NY Times story here.
To become more informed about the Bhopali action, see their website.
For more information about Bhopali's current medical problems, read about the Bhopal medical appeal and Sambhvana Clinic built in Bhopal. There, you can see photographs of the distaster and its aftermath, read a survivor's account of the disaster, about the individual cases and stories of the Bhopalis. To read the story of Amir and other damaged children born in the area affected by the Union Carbide factory toxic waste, see Amir's story.
Thank you for reading about this. Now, take action!
Only by becoming more informed and taking action as a group can individual people make a difference in the world. - Anonymous.
Together, we can make the world a less unjust place for everyone. - Anonymous.
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