Bhopal gas victims seek details of Nuclear Liability Bill from PMO
May 5th, 2010 - 1:36 pm ICT by ANINew Delhi, May 5 (ANI): Victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, described as one of the world’s worst ever industrial disasters, have filed a Right to Information (RTI) petition with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) here.
The RTI plea wants to know whether the Central Government took into consideration the disaster of gas leak at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal in 1984 while drafting the Civil Nuclear Liability Bill with the USA.
Representatives of three non-governmental organisations (NGOs) - Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh, Bhopal Group for Information and Action and Children against Dow Carbide - accompanied the victims to the PMO.
It may be recalled that over 50 victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy walked over 800 kilometres on foot from Bhopal to New Delhi and met the Prime Minister in 2008.The government had then their assured them that an empowered commission would be constituted to address grievances and would initiate remedial measures.
Citing that assurance of 2008, the protestors alleged that nothing has been done so far.”When we came on a foot march to New Delhi to meet the Prime Minister in 2008, at that time the government assured us that they would form an empowered commission to address the demands of victims like removal of hazardous waste, treatment of contaminated water, pensions to widows etc. among others but we have not received anything,” said Zakiya, a victim.
The protestors also questioned the amount included in the Nuclear Liability Bill. The Bill which proposes a liability cap of 300 million dollars on the supplier in case of a mishap.”They want to find out how the cap of 450 million dollars was fixed because this is even less than what the Bhopalis were paid as compensation and which was not sufficient enough to meet the medical expenses for five years,” noted Satinath Sarangi, an activist of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action.
In the early hours of December 3, 1984, around 40 metric tonnes of toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked into the atmosphere and was carried by wind to surrounding slums.
The government says around 3,500 died in the disaster. Rights activists, however, claim that 25,000 people have died so far. (ANI)
- Bhopal gas victims file RTI plea on nuclear liability bill - May 04, 2010
- Bhopal tragedy survivors burn Chidambaram's effigy - Jan 14, 2012
- Unethical drug trials caused death of 10 gas victims: Rights groups - Feb 10, 2011
- Bhopal Gas tragedy: CPI-M demands Dow Chemicals to take liability - Jul 02, 2010
- Bhopal gas victims protest in Delhi, demand rehabilitation - Apr 15, 2010
- Bhopal shuts down for gas tragedy affected - Oct 11, 2011
- Bhopal gas tragedy survivors call shutdown Oct 11 - Oct 08, 2011
- Bhopal gas victims protest to seek Obama's help - Nov 07, 2010
- Paralympics urge to cancel Dow Chemicals sponsor - Feb 01, 2012
- Olympics boycott is on the table, claims Bhopal NGO - Feb 27, 2012
- Bhopal gas tragedy: Victims to protest in Delhi Thursday - Apr 13, 2010
- Chidambaram heads ministers' panel on Bhopal gas tragedy (Round-up) - Jun 09, 2010
- Bhopal gas survivors hold candlelight vigil, vow to fight on - Jun 09, 2010
- Bhopal panel recommends enhanced Rs.72 crore compensation - Sep 27, 2010
- Bhopal victims write to PM on Dow sponsoring London Olympics - Aug 11, 2011
Tags: bhopal gas tragedy, central government, contaminated water, gas leak, grievances, hazardous waste treatment, industrial disasters, kilometres, liability bill, medical expenses, mishap, New Delhi, non governmental organisations, nuclear liability, pmo, protestors, remedial measures, union carbide plant, usa representatives, widows