The Bhopal Gas Disaster

On the night of 2/3 December 1984, an escape of deadly methyl-icocyante (MIC) gas from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal took an immediate toll of 2660 innocent human lives and left tens of thousands of innocent citizens of Bhopal physically impaired or affected in various degrees. Over 5 lakh (500,000) people are estimated to have been affected by the gas leak. In the 16 years following the disaster, over 15,000 people died due to gas related causes. The disaster killed over 3000 animals and injured many more.  While the magnitude of human suffering has tended to eclipse the environmental damage and increased risk, in 1999, Greenpeace, on testing the soil, water and solid wastes in and around the now disused Union Carbide plant did found general contamination of the site and immediate surroundings with chemicals arising either from routine processes during the operation of the plant, spillages and accidents, or continued and ongoing release of chemicals from materials which remain dumped or stored on site.

The Bhopal gas disaster has been the focus of acrimonius litigation for the past 20 years. The settlement order made by the Supreme Court in February 1989 (and reviewed in 1991) were meant to dispose of all the gas disaster related claims. However, a number of issues were left unresolved at the time and litigation is still taking place in Indian courts and US courts.

S. Muralidhar (see photo below) has been involved in the gas disaster related litigation for many years. This page includes some of the more recent petitions and affidavits drafted by S. Muralidhar as well as recent Indian and US judicial pronouncements. Please visit as well our publications page on torts where other Bhopal related publications can be found.

Chronology

1969 Union Carbide India Limited’s (UCIL) plant at Bhopal designed by its holding company Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), U.S.A (which held 50.9% of UCIL’s equity) was built in 1969 as a formulation factory for UCC’s SEVIN brand of pesticides, produced by reacting Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) and alpha naphthol. Sevin kills pests by paralysing their nervous systems. At this time MIC was imported from the US in steel containers. Plant set up on land taken on long-term lease from State of Madhya Pradesh.

1975 UCC decided to "integrate backwards" and manufacture ingredients of Sevin at the Bhopal of UCIL. Although the then zonal regulations prohibited locating polluting activity in the vicinity of 2 kms from the railway station, UCC was able to persuade the authorities to grant it the necessary clearances.

1978 The alpha naphtol manufacturing unit was set up and a year later the MIC unit was set up at UCIL’s plant in Bhopal

December 25, 1981 Leak of Phosgene gas at the UCIL plant killed one worker.

January 9, 1982 25 workers were hospitalised as a result of another leak at the UCIL plant. Workers’ protests went unheeded...

March 1982 ... [ read the complete chronology... ]

Selected Academic Publication

Communities at Risk: Industrial Risk and Indian Law

Bhopal Documents

Union Carbide v Union of India - Orders August-October 2004

Bhopal Gas Peedith Mahila U.Sangat v Union of India

Sajida Bano v Union Carbide & Warren Andersen

Directions to Welfare Commissioner to disburse existing funds

Rejoinder affidavit: in appeal for disbursement of remaining amount of compensation paid by Union Carbide

Writ petition for disbursement of remaining amount of compensation paid by Union Carbide

Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster - Legal Issues