Cleanup Efforts at Bhopal Disaster Site Criticized as Insufficient by Local Campaigners

Following years of inaction, the Indian government has commenced a cleanup operation at the site of the catastrophic 1984 Bhopal gas disaster, removing 337 tonnes of toxic waste. However, local activists have dismissed this move as a public relations stunt, in light of the fact that it accounts for less than 1% of the estimated 1.1 million tonnes of hazardous materials still contaminating the area.

The Bhopal disaster occurred on December 2, 1984, when the Union Carbide chemical plant released a massive amount of toxic gas, leading to over 3,000 immediate fatalities and at least 25,000 deaths attributed to long-term health effects, including cancers and severe disabilities in newborns. The ongoing contamination has affected water supplies and public health for decades.

Despite a July court ruling urging the government to address the toxic waste issue, campaigners assert that the recently removed waste posed little threat compared to the larger contamination problem. They also raised concerns about the process of incineration at a facility 150 miles away, fearing it may expose nearby populations to additional toxins.

Local groups have been advocating for accountability from Union Carbide and its parent company, Dow Chemicals, which continue to deny liability following a 1989 settlement with the Indian government. Critics argue that the continued neglect of Bhopal's environmental crisis is a grave injustice to the community affected by the disaster.

Some officials, including the director of the state's Bhopal gas tragedy relief department, maintain that the cleanup is proceeding safely and that there is no significant contamination risk, but this has not quelled public outrage. Protests against the incineration plan and the government's lack of comprehensive action are ongoing, as activists call for more substantial measures to address the lasting impact of the Bhopal tragedy.