Bhopal gas tragedy survivor speaks out 40 years after disaster in India

On that dreadful night, Kaleem Khan was working on his night shift duty in the plant. He was a temporary, poorly paid daily wage worker on the plant and his job involved packing 'Sevin' powder, a type of insecticide, in cardboard boxes and sealing them.

Kaleem Khan was on duty that night along with his friends Sabir Bhai, Mata Prasad, Ganga Ram Prajapati and Anwar Mian

Suddenly Sabir Bhai pointed towards a pipe water leakage. The next moment the siren began to blare. The sound of the siren was coming from the methyl isocyanate (MIC) plant. Initially, the workers thought that this could be a drill. But just then the workers heard someone alerting everyone to run for their lives.

Now 70, Kaleem Khan says that almost four decades after the incident he has not fully recovered. The toxic gas damaged his lungs permanently and he has also been afflicted with tuberculosis.

"I also suffered from Corona. I consider myself lucky that I am still alive," he told Global South World.

Everyone was scrambling for their lives

Looking back on that ill-fated night, Kaleem reminisces. "As soon as the alarm sounded, we all rushed towards the gate. Our eyes were stinging, and breathing became very difficult. We were convinced that MIC had leaked. Everyone was scrambling to ensure their survival.”

Kaleem, like others, ran in a desperate attempt to escape the deadly gas. He kept running for a long time. Kaleem said the night was horrific as people around him were falling to their deaths and at the time, Kaleem had no idea how far he had run. "I had reached the railway track and kept running on the track. I went too far, and then when I didn't have the strength left to run any further, I stayed there," he said.

By morning, the gas in the air had somewhat dissipated. Kaleem was worried about his family. "But instead of going home, I returned to the plant looking for my friends," he said.

Never saw his co-workers again

Kaleem Khan said there was no trace of any of his four friends who had been working with him that night before the gas leaked. He never met them again leaving a lasting sense of loss and sorrow in his heart.

Kaleem Khan said he was fortunate that he survived that night. He said many of his friends and acquaintances were not so lucky.

However, hundreds of tonnes of toxic waste remain at the Union Carbide plant which is contaminating the water sources and soil near the plant. The toxic waste is still affecting thousands.

Study reveals effects of gas on unborn babies

Unborn babies near the Bhopal gas leakage site at the time of the tragedy are eight times more likely to suffer from diseases and disabilities, including cancer, that have affected their employment, livelihood and education prospects years later, a study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) by a team from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) revealed.

The research also shows that the observable effects of the catastrophe extend beyond immediate proximity in people residing as far as 100 kilometres away from the Carbide plant at the time of the gas leak, as corroborated by the data released by the Government of India.

According to Rachna Dhingra, convener of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action, an organization working for the victims of the tragedy, it has been highlighted many times that people continue to be affected even after many years, however, the government continues to neglect their suffering.

The victims are afflicted by various ailments including cancer, asthma, stomach aches and similar skin diseases. Organizations dedicated to the welfare of Bhopal gas survivors believe that the impact of the tragedy is a daily reality for these people.

On the other hand, Vishwas Sarang, Minister for Gas Relief and Rehabilitation in Madhya Pradesh, said that the government is committed to the well-being of the affected people.

"It is the top priority of the government to provide all possible assistance to these people and we have been providing medical and health facilities to them. It is our responsibility to care for them and ensure their welfare," Sarang told Global South World.

However, the Bhopal gas survivors claim that successive governments have failed to fulfil their needs, including healthcare and the necessity for higher compensation.

They allege that the authorities have not done enough to address the problem faced by children born with malformations due to Union Carbide’s toxins. The Bhopal gas disaster is believed to be the world's worst industrial tragedy killing nearly 25,000 people.