Gas leak at UCIL, Bhopal

In the early morning hours of December 3, 1984, a poisonous grey cloud (forty tons of toxic gases) from Union carbide India Limited (UCIL's), a subsidiary of the US based Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), pesticide plant at Bhopal spread throughout the city. Water carrying catalytic material had entered Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) storage tank No.610. What followed was a nightmare. The killer gas spread through the city, sending residents running through the dark streets.No alarm ever sounded a warning and no evacuation plan was prepared. When victims arrived at hospitals breathless and blind, doctors did not know how to treat them, as UCIL had not provided emergency information. It was only when the sun rise the next morning that the magnitude of the devastation was clear. Dead bodies of humans and animals blocked the streets, leaves turned black, and the smell of burning chilli peppers lingered in the air. Estimates suggested that as many as 10,000 may have died immediately and 30,000 to 50,000 were to ill to ever return to their jobs.

The catastrophe raised some serious ethical issues. The pesticide factory was built in the midst of densely populated settlements. UCIL chose to store and produce MIC, one of the most deadly chemicals (Permitted exposure levels in the USA and Britain are 0.02 parts per million), in an area where nearly 120,000 people lived. The MIC plant was not designed to handle a runaway reaction. When the uncontrolled reaction started, MIC was flowing through the scrubber at more than 200 times its designed capacity. MIC in the tank was filled to 87 percent of its capacity while the maximum permissible was 50 percent. MIC was not stored at zero degree centigrade as prescribed due to UCC's global economy drive. Vital gauges and indicators in the MIC tank were defective. Other safety measures were not made available.

As part of UCC's drive to cut costs, the work force in the Bhopal factory was brought down by half from 1980 to 1984. This had serious consequences on safety and maintenance. The size of the work crew for the MIC plant was cut in half from twelve to six workers. The maintenance supervisor position had been eliminated and there was no maintenance supervisor. The period of safety-training to workers in the MIC plant was brought down from 6 months to 15 days.

In addition to causing the Bhopal disaster, UCC was also guilty of prolonging the misery and suffering of the survivors. By withholding medical information on the chemicals, it deprived victims of proper medical care. By denying interim relief, as directed by two Indian courts, it caused a lot hardship to the survivors. In February 1989, the supreme court of India ruled that UCC should pay US $ 470 million as compensation in full and final settlement. UCC said it would accept the ruling provided Government of India (GOI) did not pursue any further legal proceedings against the Company and its officials. GOI accepted the offer without consulting with the victims.