Unveiling the Stories of Women Who Endured the Catastrophic Industrial Catastrophe
In the stillness of the night on December 3, 1984, a catastrophic event unfolded in Bhopal, India. The Union Carbide pesticide plant, built in the late 1960s with inferior technology and shirking safety standards, leaked more than 27 tons of methyl isocyanate into the air.
The immediate aftermath was devastating. Over 3,000 people perished, and the death toll doubled in the following years, reaching over 10,000. Bano Bee, a survivor, was awakened by a rumble and a fog outside her home and had to flee with her five children.
Internal documents revealed that toxic waste was spreading from the ponds to the reservoirs across Bhopal two years before the disaster. UCC, the original company responsible for the plant, had been dumping hazardous waste into unlined pits before constructing solar evaporation ponds. A crucial safety feature, the refrigeration system, had been switched off to save on electricity on the night of the disaster.
The factory was storing 134 times the maximum permissible storage limit of MIC in Europe on the night of the disaster. The Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) considered the low-caste residents of Bhopal expendable and did not expect survivors to form a significant environmental justice movement.
However, the people of Bhopal refused to be silenced. In 2008, some 100 survivors and activists walked 500 miles in a padyatra, or protest march, from Bhopal to New Delhi. The group put on a dharna, or sit-in, for four months as activists and survivors chained themselves to the fence surrounding the Prime Minister's home.
The long-term health effects from the disaster have been intergenerational. Disabilities and deformities are common among the children and grandchildren of survivors. Studies found excessive chemicals and heavy metals in samples of groundwater, well water, soil, and even breast milk.
Fast forward to early January 2025, Indian authorities began moving nearly 350 tons of toxic waste from the Bhopal factory to the industrial town of Pithampur for incineration. Protests erupted when the waste trucks arrived in Pithampur, with residents marching through town and demanding the waste be sent to America for disposal. Two men doused their bodies in flammable liquid and set themselves alight during the protests.
Despite the ongoing struggles, the resilience of the Bhopal survivors remains unbroken. Every mother, wife, and daughter met at the ICJB office was affected by Bhopal's poisoned environment. Prem Bai, a survivor, reported that the well water near the factory had a 'bit oily' quality and would have a powder-like substance in it the following morning.
Union Carbide tells a different story, claiming the chemical industry responded to the incident with improved process safety standards, emergency preparedness, and community awareness. However, the people of Bhopal continue their fight for justice, a fight that spans over three decades. The call for justice from Bhopali women remains unsilenced.
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