The Bhopal Gas Tragedy occurred on December 2-3, 1984, when a gas leak from a pesticide plant caused the deaths of over 3,000 people and injured more than 558,000. Poor safety measures, including inadequate maintenance and reliance on manual operations, contributed to the disaster, prompting governmental and organizational responses that included limited medical relief and some economic rehabilitation for victims. Union Carbide, the plant's owner, ultimately settled for $470 million to cover its liabilities regarding the tragedy.

1. Bhopal Gas Tragedy
Fight for the justice

2. Overview
Objective
UCIL
The accident
Factors causing that accident
The effects
The aftermath
Measures taken for rehabilitation
Compensation provided by Union Carbide
Sources
Closing

3. Objective
A study on what had caused the Bhopal disaster
and what measures were taken post the
disaster.

4. UCIL
Built in 1969
Indian subsidiary of Union Carbide Corporation
UCIL factory was located in Bhopal
Produced a pesticide named, Sevin (UCCs brand
name for carbaryl using methyl isocyanate (MIC)
as an intermediate.

5. The Accident
During the night of 2-3 December 1984, water
entered Tank E610 containing 42 tons of MIC.
The resulting reaction was an increase of the
temperature ,inside the tank, of over 200 Celsius
(392 F) and which led to a raise in the pressure.
About 30 metric tons of methyl isocyanate
escaped from the tank into Bhopal’s atmosphere
in 45-60 minutes.

7. Factors causing that
accident
Storing MIC in large tanks and filling beyond recommended
levels
Poor maintenance
Lack of effective safety systems in place
Undersized safety devices
Dependence on manual operations
Location of the plant next to a densely operated area
Safety systems were switched off to save money- including
MIC tank refrigeration which could have prevented the
disaster from taking place

9. The effects
The official immediate death toll was 2,259 and
the government of Madhya Pradesh had
confirmed a death toll of 3,787 people post the
gas release.
2,000 bloated animal carcasses were disposed
off.
A government affidavit in 2006 stated that the
leak caused 5,58,125 injuries including 38,478
temporary partial and approximately 3,900
severely and permanent disabled injuries.

13. The Aftermath
Medical staff was unprepared for thousands of
casualties
Doctors and hospitals were not trained for proper
treatment of MIC gas inhalation.
Doctors were told to give simple cough medicine and
eye drops to patients.
There were mass funerals and cremations. There
was mass dumping of bodies into the Narmada river.
Total of 36 wards were affected, including the
population of 520,000. Out of which 200,000 were
below 15 years and 3,000 were pregnant women.

14. Measures for rehabilitation
Economic Rehabilitation
• Immediate relief was decided two days post tragedy
• Each claimant was to be categorized by a doctor
• Widow pension of Rs. 200/month
Occupational Rehabilitation
• 33 of 50 planned worksheds for gas victims had
started
• Less than 100 gas victims were provided with regular
employment under the government scheme

15. Habitation Rehabilitation
• 2,486 flats in two and four story buildings were constructed in
Widow’s colony outside Bhopal
• Infrastructure like buses and schools were missing for decades
Health Care
• Radical health groups were setup and were working since
1985.
• The Government of India increased hospital-based services for
the gas victims
• 8 mini units (small health care centers) were started and were
to provide services till 2006
• The State Government setup a lot of hospitals, mobile units
and clinics right after the tragedy.

16. Environmental Rehabilitation
• When the factory was closed in 1985-1986, all the pipes, tanks
and drums were sold. Although the MIC and Sevin plants are
still in there.
• Tubewells in the vicinity of the plant were abandoned.
• All the hazardous materials were dumped around the plant.
• There was scheme setup to provide safe water supply to
people living around the plant
• In December 2008 Madhya Pradesh High Court decided to
incinerate all the toxic waste next to Ankleshwar, Gujarat.

17. Compensation provided by
Union Carbide
Government of India passed the Bhopal Gas
Leak Disaster Act, which allowed them to
represent victims outside India.
UCC offered US $ 350 million as an insurance
sum.
The Government of India claimed US $3.3 billion.
In 1989, a settlement was reached where UCC
agreed to pay US $470 million in a full and final
settlement of its civil and criminal liability.

18. Sources
Wikipedia.org
NDTV
Times of India

19. THANK YOU