Bhopal, 24 Nov 2014 : The five NGOs (Non-government organizations) working for the welfare and rights of the victims and survivors of the Bhopal gas disaster, world’s worst industrial catastrophe, have called upon the central Indian state Madhya Pradesh and federal governments to urgently respond to the juridical issues concerning the ongoing contamination of soil and groundwater in and around the killer Union Carbide pesticide factory which now lies abandoned.
In a statement issued here on Monday they said the last date of intervention by the Madhya Pradesh Government in the suit for Environmental remediation in Bhopal by Union Carbide Corporation, USA pending in the US Federal Court is28th November 2014.
Balkrishna Namdeo of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pension Bhogi Sangharsh Morcha said that on 30thJuly, Justice Keenan in the Southern District Court of New York had dismissed the matter concerning contamination of soil and ground water in and around the Union Carbide factory. The 17 plaintiffs from Bhopal represented by US based attorneys from– EarthRights International, Sharma & Deyoung LLP, and the Law Offices of Curtis V. Trinko have appealed against the unjust order before the second circuit court of appeals.
“The state government was served notice by the US court in early March 2014 but despite the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s declaration in the state Legislative Assembly in 2010 to follow suite, the government made no efforts to present the case for clean up of the Union Carbide factory site and its surroundings till the matter was dismissed”, said Ms Rachna Dhingra from the Bhopal Group for Information & Action, a solidarity organization.
“The state government through its lawyers only has till November 28 before the US court during the appeal process and make Union Carbide pay for their reckless dumping of hazardous wastes”, she added.
Ms Rashida Bi of Bhopal Gas Peedit Stationary Mahila Karmachari Sangh said that we have written to the office of Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh on February 4 and to the office of Chief Minister on July 30, 2014 urging the Madhya Pradesh Government to immediately intervene in this urgent matter. She said another set of reminders were sent to all the concerned officials and ministries in November but they have not heard back from anyone.
We are hopeful that the Government of Madhya Pradesh through Government of India will listen to us in this year of the 30th anniversary of the disaster and intervene to seek money towards cleanup and remediation from Union Carbide in the litigation pending in the US courts, said Ms Safreen Khan of Children Against Dow-Carbide.
The joint statement issued by the five survivors’ organisations are: Bhopal Group of Information and Action, (BGIA); Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogi Sangharsh Morcha; Children Against Dow Carbide; Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh and the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha, (BGPMPSM).
It may be recalled here that in Bhopal, the capital of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984 the Union Carbide pesticide manufacturing factory had spewed 40 metric tonnes of poisonous Methyl Iso-cyanate gas whereby 3000 people had perished virtually instantly and over the years more than 25000 have kissed death and the sad saga is still continuing uninterruptedly. Over half a million are still suffering from the side effects of the poisonous gas and several thousands of people have been maimed for life. The survivors life have been complicated by cancer, birth defects, blindness and a range of neurological, immune and respiratory issues and disorders. (pervezbari@eth.net)