The Bhopal gas tragedy was one of the worst industrial disasters in history. On December 3, 1984, a leak of methyl isocyanate gas from a pesticide plant owned by Union Carbide India Limited in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh exposed over 500,000 people to toxic gases. Estimates vary, but it is believed between 3,000 to 8,000 people died within weeks and thousands more have since died from gas-related illnesses. The gas leak occurred when water accidentally entered a storage tank containing methyl isocyanate, causing a chemical reaction that led the tank's safety valve to burst and release the toxic gases. Inadequate safety systems, negligence by Union Carbide and state governments,

1. Bhopal Gas Tragedy
Prepared By:
Boman Ali
Rohaullah Ahmadi
Adbul Jalil
Rahul Kumar
Kaushik Raj

2. Introduc
tion
The Bhopal
disaster, also
referred to as
the Bhopal gas
tragedy, was a gas
leak incident in
India,
considered the
world's worst
industrial disaster.

3. Introduc
tion
It occurred on the night of
2–3 December 1984 at the
Union Carbide India
Limited (UCIL) pesticide
plant in Bhopal, Madhya
Pradesh. Over 500,000
people were exposed to
methyl iso cyanate (MIC)
gas and other chemicals.
The highly toxic substance
made its way into and
around the shanty towns
located near the plant.

4. Introduc
tion
Estimates vary on the death toll. The
official immediate death toll was 2,259.
The government of Madhya Pradesh
confirmed a total of 3,787 deaths related
to the gas release. A government
affidavit in 2006 stated that the leak
caused 558,125 injuries, including
38,478 temporary partial injuries and
approximately 3,900 severely and
permanently disabling injuries. Others
estimate that 8,000 died within two
weeks, and another 8,000 or more have
since died from gas-related diseases.

5. Union
Carbide in
Bhopal
Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) was a chemical company established in
1934, eventually expanding to employ 9,000 people working at 14 plants in
five divisions. UCIL was 50.9% owned by Union Carbide Corporation (UCC)
and 49.1% by Indian investors including the Government of India and
government-controlled banks.
UCIL produced batteries, carbon products, welding equipment, plastics,
industrial chemicals, pesticides, and marine products.

6. Union Carbide
in Bhopal
In 1970 UCIL built a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, which gained worldwide attention as a
result of the Bhopal disaster. On December 3, 1984, a release of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas
immediately killed about three thousand people and led to the death of more than fifteen
thousand in subsequent weeks and months. The death rate is currently about 2 or 3 people per
week. At the time of the disaster, UCIL was ranked twenty-first in size among companies
operating in India. It had revenues of Rs 2 billion (then equivalent to US$170 million).
In November 1994, UCC completed the sale of its interest in UCIL to McLeod Russel of
Calcutta. UCIL was subsequently renamed Eveready Industries India.

7. Cause of
Tragedy
Shortly after the gas release, UCC launched an aggressive effort to identify the
cause. With access to employees and plant records, UCC investigators
conducted more than 70 interviews in India and examined some 70,000 pages
of plant records and documentation that the Indian government had reluctantly
released. UCC's follow-up investigation confirmed its initial conclusion: a
large volume of water had been introduced into the MIC tank. This caused a
chemical reaction that forced the pressure release valve to open and allowed
the gas to leak.

8. Cause of
Tragedy
A tank containing methyl isocyanate (MIC) leaked.
MIC is an extremely reactive chemical and is used in
production of the insecticide carbayl.
The scientific reason for the accident was that water
entered the tank where about 40 cubic meters of MIC
was stored.
When water and MIC mixed, an exothermic chemical
reaction started, producing a lot of heat.
As a result, the safety valve of the tank burst because
of the increase in pressure.
It is presumed that between 20 and 30 tones of MIC
were released during the hour that the leak took
place.
The gas leaked from a 30 m high chimney and this
height was not enough to reduce the effects of the
discharge.

9. Characteristics of
MIC:
MIC has very special characteristics which
make the chemical very hazardou
Some of the properties of the MIC are:
1. It is extremely volatile and vaporizes very
easily
2. It can boil at a temperature of 38degrees C,
so it is very important to be ke
cool.
3. It is chemically very active and reacts
violently with water.
4. It is highly toxic, it is about 100 times lethal
than cyanide gas.
5. It is heavier than atmospheric air; it stays
near the ground after release.

10. Emergency Response
And Relief Operation
Information regarding the gas-
release was late and incomplete.
The police and medical services
were unaware initially that there had
been a release of MIC gas.
No one knew about the adverse
effects of the gas release and the
treatment methods of the affected
persons.

11. Emergency Response
And Relief Operation
For the relief purposes of the affected
persons a relief commission was created
directly under the Chief Minister. Two
additional collectors were made in charge of
relief and rehabilitation respectively. The
main duties of the additional collectors
included the proper field work coordination
and to ensure the implementation of
administrative directives. Various gas
affected localities were divided into seven
administrative zones. Each zone was under
the administrative control of a deputy
collector.

12. Emergency Response And
Relief Operation
The next of kin of the dead persons were
paid immediate ex-gratia compensation
of Rs. 10,000. The poor families in the
gas affected wards were paid an ex-gratia
of Rs. 1500. Wheat and rice were
distributed free in the affected
localities; the local administration faced
problems in the absence of reliable
socio-economic surveys which made
the identification of poor families very
difficult. The gas relief commission
and the state department of industry
launched schemes to provide alternative
employment for the affected people.

13. Reasons For
Tragedy
(I) Inadequate Safety
Laws :
The Bhopal disaster has
exposed the safety system in
India. In the Bhopal case, the
safety aspect was ignored even
at the time of granting of
license for location of the
plant at Bhopal in 1969.
Dangers to the inhabitants of
the area were perceived very
early and even shifting of the
plant was suggested which was
ignored.

14. Reasons For
Tragedy
(ii) Double Standard :
Union Carbide Corporation maintained double
standards regarding safety measures
at the Bhopal Plant. Safety measures such as
computerized pressure, temperature sensing
system and other effective alternatives were
non-existent in the Bhopal plant.
A West Virginia sister plant was provided with a
computerized early warning system which was
not made available in the Indian plant.
In the American plant MIC could be stored for a
maximum period of fifteen days, while in India
it was kept for months.
Many safety systems were manual in India,
while in West Virginia they were computerized.

15. Reasons For
Tragedy
(iii) Safety Measures and
Financial Hardships :
Safety mechanisms and
preventive maintenance were
the first to be curtailed when
the Union Carbide Plant
suffered financial losses.
It is really ironic that the
factors most important were
ignored for the sake of profit-
making.

16. Reasons For
Tragedy
(iv) State Negligence :
The Government of India and the Government
of Madhya Pradesh also failed to take effective
preventive steps while granting the license for
the manufacture of the highly toxic pesticide.
This accident has raised several questions
concerning the failure of the State to prevent
the toxic leak. It is difficult to say whether any
scientific opinion was taken before the
granting of a license to manufacture such a
dangerous substance or whether it even asked
for the composition of the deadly gas. The
government did not possess adequate
information regarding the toxic nature of MIC
and its medical antidotes in the event of an
accident.

17. Aftermath
UCC began attempts to dissociate itself
from responsibility for the gas leak.
In a settlement mediated by the Indian
Supreme Court, UCC accepted moral
responsibility and agreed to pay $470
million to the Indian government to be
distributed to claimants as a full and final
settlement.
The figure was partly based on
the disputed claim that only 3000 people
died and 102,000 suffered permanent
disabilities.
Upon announcing this settlement, shares
of UCC rose $2 per share or 7% in value
.

18. Aftermath
By the end of October 2003,
according to the Bhopal Gas
Tragedy Relief and
Rehabilitation Department,
compensation had been awarded
to 554,895 people for injuries
received and 15,310 survivors of
those killed.
The average amount to families
of the dead was $2,200.

19. Short Term
Effects
In the days following the gas leak, the
leaves on the trees near the factory
yellowed and fell off the branches. Around
2,000 animals, mostly livestock such as
goats and buffalo, were killed by the gas
leak. The Indian government prohibited
fishing in the area for fear that the rivers
and lakes were polluted. The food supply
in Bhopal became scarce due to suppliers'
fears of food safety. Nearby crop growth
was also affected by the leak. According
to authorities, 36 wards in the region were
considered to be “gas affected.” These 36
wards contained a population of some
520,000 people.

20. Long Term
Effects
Since the Bhopal gas leak, there have
been persistent environmental
problems due to improper clean up.
Past attempts to decontaminate the
environment in and around Bhopal
were incomplete.
The cleanup responsibilities shifted
from Union Carbide industries to the
Madhya Pradesh government in 1998.
Since this time, money and
accountability for the leak have
become a problem.
As a result, drinking water
contamination has become a major
issue.

21. Long Term
Effects
Water Contamination:
Bhopal's underground water supply is polluted
with toxic chemicals such as heavy metals and
persistent organic pollutants. The contamination
is not only due to the Bhopal gas leak, but also
to Union Carbide's practices prior to the leak.
Soil Contamination :
In addition to water testing, Greenpeace
Research Laboratories also performed soil
testing to check for contamination. They tested
several sites near the Union Carbide plant.
Greenpeace found the metal levels in the soil
similar to uncontaminated soil.

22. Conclusion
Those relevant facts are furnished below:
1. The plant has two main safety devices:
Scrubber, which neutralize the gas with caustic soda and
Flare tower, where the gas can be burnt off.
Both the safety devices failed to operate on that particular day.
2. The refrigeration units for the storage tanks containing MIC
gas were out of order for several months.
3. The water jet had failed to reach at the top of the 120 ft
stack from which MIC gas was gushing out.
4. The poisonous gas was stored in the tanks for more than
two months, violating the safety rules.
5. The factory turned on the public siren about an hour after
the gas started releasing into the atmosphere.
6. The plant was located in densely populated area of old
Bhopal.