The Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984 was the world's worst industrial disaster. A leak of toxic gases from the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India exposed over 500,000 people to toxic gases. Over 3,000 people died immediately and many more died from complications in subsequent years. The leak occurred due to poor safety standards and neglected maintenance at the plant. In the aftermath, there was a lack of emergency response and unavailability of antidotes that exacerbated the human and environmental impact. Long term health and environmental issues persist in the affected areas due to inadequate cleanup of toxic wastes by Union Carbide. The disaster led to new legislation in India on industrial safety, liability, and disaster

1. Bhopal Gas Tragedy
(World’s worst Industrial
Disaster)
Mrunmayi Jogdand
2015MEP013

2. Background to the disaster
• India witnessed Green Revolution in 1960s and
1970s.
• Agricultural productivity increased and so did the
use and demand for Pesticides.
• The Indian Govt. invited Union Carbide
Corporation to set up a plant in India, which at
that time was the largest manufacturer of
pesticides and insecticides in the world.
• UCC is the parent company and UCL was the
Indian subsidiary which held 50.9% stock because
they possessed the “technical knowhow”.
• All production processes, plant designs, operation
procedures and safety audits were as per UCC
standards.
• The plant opened in 1969 in Bhopal to produce
pesticides and later on in 1977 started producing
Sevin (brand name for carbaryl).
• Sevin/Carbaryl was produced by a chemical
reaction for which MIC, phosgene and carbon
monoxide was used.
• Till 1980, MIC was imported from US but MIC
manufacturing started in Bhopal plant in 1980.
• The presence of the plant attracted a huge
influx of population who started living by
in the vicinity of the plant.
• However, the plant was designed for more
than required capacity and by 1980s
repeated droughts and effectiveness of
pesticides being unsatisfactory, the sales
declined.
• Due to this there were major economic
restrictions on the plant and several
procedures were cut short or delayed.

3. Preparedness
• UCL had seen multiple accidents and
warnings about an impending disaster.
• Yet, the lower order workforce was
subjected to no training and
information about the possible hazard.
• Excess toxics were stored in the factory
premises rather than disposing as per
manual.
• Tank 610 (which burst) had excess MIC
and tank 619 was also filled (it was to be
empty)
• The plant was shut down for many
months before the disaster.
• Emergency response mechanisms
were non functioning and could not
have controlled in the event of
release.
• The local hospitals and
administration were not aware of the
treatment that would have been
provided.

4. 2nd Dec. 1984,
10 pm –
approximate
time water
entered tank
and runaway
reaction began
Event

5. 2nd Dec. 1984,
10.45 pm – first
leak reported near
tank

6. 2nd Dec. 1984, 11.30 pm – gases
seen escaping the VGS
3rd Dec.
1984,
00.15 am
– alarm
signalling
major gas
release
started
which
was
turned to
muted
alarm
later

7. 3rd Dec. 1984, 00.20 am –
gases seen escaping flare tower

8. 3rd Dec. 1984, 00.30 am – immense pressure inside the tank
610 split it open and most of the contents escaped
3rd Dec. 1984, 02.15 am – gas leak
stopped

9. Disaster Response – Events that happened outside the plant
• 3rd Dec. 1984 1.15 am – The police control room was informed of the leak by the residents.
• 3rd Dec. 1984 1.45 am – Chief doctor at JP hospital left from his home and he could smell leak even
5 km away.
• 3rd Dec. 1984 2.15 am – The mayor left for the plant and he saw a greyish fog on the way.
• 3rd Dec. 1984 3.00 am – First official message from UC about plugging the leak and first deaths
reported.
Source: Cloud that formed
over Bhopal, Eckerman
Ingrid, The Bhopal Saga,
Universities Press
• There was a soft wind from north towards the city that night, where it descended in heavy mist upon
the bastis nearby.
• The gases escaped from two points in the plant, near the tank on ground level and through the stack
tower.
• The area with the largest casualties were 6-7 km south of the factory while lethal injuries were found
upto 2.5 km. The railway station is situated in the middle of the affected area.
• Many of those who died lived nearest to the plant. Those who woke up started running and inhaled
most of the gases.
• In areas around the factory, every goat, dog, cow, cat and buffalo had died after inhaling the gases.

11. • During the first days, people from Bhopal volunteered and helped remove dead bodes, assist doctors
and brought food to hospitals and medical camps.
• The Bhopal hospitals treated 130,000 patients and 40,000 were treated at other hospitals of MP.
• Police worked along side Military personnel in resuscitation work.
• Air samples taken on 4-5 Dec. showed high presence of MIC and cyanide, indicating a continuing leak
from the tank.
• The Govt. advised the residents to move away from affected area, wash fruits and vegetables and not
to eat fish.
Immediate response

12. • A total of 36 wards were marked as ‘Gas affected’ with an estimated population of 5,20,000 in
1984. Of these, 200,000 were below 15 years of age and 3000 were pregnant women.
• The acute symptoms were described as burning in respiratory tract and eyes, breathlessness,
stomach pains and vomiting.
• Delayed effects were Intestinal bleeding, pain in the kidneys, general debility. At Hamidia hospital
cases of partial paralysis were found. The reproductive health of women were affected.
Immediately after leak, stillbirth rate increased by up to 300% and the perinatal and neonatal
mortality increased by 200%.
• According to a message on 11th Dec. 1984, Disease control centre in Atlanta, no known antidote
was available for MIC.

13. Reconstruction and Rehabilitation
• Various institutes and organisations were working towards collecting information to have a critical
review of the event.
• Indian Council of Medical research was set up in Bhopal for a period of 10 years by Ministry of Gas
Relief. They did 24 research projects till 1994 on areas like fertility, immune deficiency. The research
was later handed over to Centre for Rehabilitation Studies.
• The Bhopal Cancer Registry was established by ICMR in 1986, to ascertain if there are any cancer
cases arising out of exposure to gases.
• Sambhavna trust is a NGO set up by Satinath Sarangi which works for the gas affected. Surveys on
status of health and health care are done during home visits in most affected areas.
• Bhopal Memorial Trust Hospital and Research centre was set up to provide clinical and technical
care for all the patients.
• The special training and employment programme for the urban poor was used for occupational
rehabilitation of the affected.
• Vocational training in form of handicrafts etc was also provided.

14. Environmental Rehabilitation
• In 1985-86, the factory was closed down. Pipes, drums and tanks were cleaned with water
and chemical decontaminant and then sold off.
• However, the MIC plant, sevin unit, the tanks and storages of different residues.
• Between 1969-77, all effluents were dumped in an open pits thereafter they went to the
evaporation ponds. In rainy season, the effluents would overflow and enter the sewage.
• Carbide’s tests in 1989 revealed that soil and water samples in the vicinity of the factory had
high toxicity.
• In 1996, CBI directed MPCB, NEERI and HCT to clean up the premises.
• As per the agreement, UCC was supposed to clean up the site before handing it over to the
Govt. It abandoned the factory immediately after the disaster and tonnes of toxic waste is
still lying around in the premises.
• In 2009, CSE, New Delhi released test results showing pesticide groundwater contamination
up to three kilometres from the factory. Also in 2009, the BBC took a water sample from a
frequently used hand pump, located just north of the plant. The sample, tested in UK, was
found to contain 1,000 times the WHO's recommended maximum amount of carbon
tetrachloride, a carcinogenic toxin.
• As reported by Hindustan Times on Aug 14, 2015, a trial run to burn the toxic was done at
Pithampur Industrial area near Indore. The plans are to burn the remaining 340 tonnes of
waste.

15. Mitigation
• In continuation of the Stockholm conference, the NCEP was set up. In 1985, the ministry of
Environment and forests was established.
• After the gas leak, many new acts were created and some were amended.
• The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991, was enacted to provide prompt relief to non worker victims.
• The National Environments Tribunal Act, 1995, fixes liability and provides compensation for cases
on environmental damage.
• The Environmental Protection Ac, 1986, provides better zoning of industrial locations, a more
intensive system of inspections and development of prevention guidelines and emergency response
systems.
• An emergency preparedness plan has to be prepared both by occupiers and the district authorities.
Source : Eckerman, Ingrid ; The Bhopal Saga, 2005, Universities
Press, Hyderabad