The night of December 2
and the early hours of December 3, 1984, remain etched in the annals of history
as a grim reminder of industrial negligence. A major leakage of toxic gases, buried
in stainless steel tank, in which forty-two tonnes of liquid methyl isocyanate
(MIC) had been stored - from October, 1984 - took place on the night of 2/3
December, 1984 at the Union Carbide Factory in Bhopal. This leak resulted in
the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, infamously becoming the epicentre
of one of the world's worst industrial disasters. The leak of 40 tons of methyl
isocyanate (MIC) gas resulted in thousands of deaths and many more untold injuries,
disabilities, damages and suffering for many thousands of people whose impact
has transcended generations. Death and damages also occurred to animals and
plants surrounding the plant.
Amidst the horror of this
MIC gas tragedy, one man – Dr S Varadarajan - and his team risked their lives to
avert an even greater catastrophe. The plant had a further quantity of MIC in a
second buried tank, which presented a serious hazard. Based on an appreciation
of the chemical reactivity and properties of MIC, a number of measures were
adopted to minimize the recurrence of another leakage and to contain the
effects of such an eventuality. A risk management system was established and
the material in the tank and in other containers was processed safely during
16th to 22nd December, 1984 under an operation aptly named Operation Faith.
This mission was accomplished by a dedicated team of scientists and experts
under the leadership of Dr S Varadarajan, who was then the Secretary of DST,
Government of India. One shedders to imagine what the consequences of the
second tank leaking an equal quantity of MIC would have been had these
scientists not risked their lives and safety to carry out this mission.
Having had the honour of working with Dr. Varadarajan, I have personally
witnessed his humility, brilliance, and unwavering commitment to science. My
tribute to him, published in Science Reporter, delves deeper into his
unparalleled contributions to averting a second leak during the Bhopal tragedy.
You can read an abridged version of this article published in Science Reporter,
on my blog whose link is given below. The blog also covers his
role in the Operation Faith.
https://khened.blogspot.com/2022/05/dr.html
What is most shocking
about this incident, one of the worst industrial disasters across the globe, is
that the CEO of the Union Carbide, Mr Anderson, who was charged with culpable homicide
charges, remained untouched and escaped out of the country, believed to be aided
by the government machinery.
The Bhopal police had
registered a case against Union Carbide on the MIC gas leakage Hanuman Ganj
police station on December 3 evening. As expected in such industrial disasters,
the head of the Union Carbide Corporation from US who held a major share in
their Indian Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, Mr Anderson was scheduled to visit
the Bhopal plant to take stock of the happenings. The news of the CEO of Union
Carbide, which owned 50.9 percent of the company that operated the Union
Carbide Bhopal factory, Mr Anderson coming to India was ascertained by the
media. According to information, Anderson along with some of his colleagues
reached Bhopal on December 7 at 9.30 AM by an Indian Airlines flight from
Mumbai (then Bombay). An anecdotal reference indicates that Anderson was
pleasantly surprised to see large contingent of police at the Bhopal airport,
which he mistook had assembled to facilitate his safe visit to the factory.
Among the people who had
assembled at the Bhopal airport to “receive” Anderson were Swaraj Puri the then
SP of Bhopal and Mr Moti Singh, The District Magistrate, who received Anderson
at the airport and whisked him from the media persons to the Union Carbide’s rest
house. Mr Anderson was informed that he was being taken into custody for a culpable
homicide. Interestingly, within few hours of the arrest of Anderson, a bail was
arranged for him and by afternoon the then Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Mr
Arjun Singh ordered his immediate release.
At around 3.30 PM, Mr. Puri
the SP of Bhopal, who along with the DM had arrested him briefly, drove Anderson
straight to the State Hanger, where a chartered flight of the state of Madhya
Pradesh was waiting to fly him to Delhi. Mr Anderson was allowed to flee the country
from Delhi and return back to the US with the aid and abetment of the state machineries.
Mr Moti Singh, the then DM of Bhopal, who was personal witness to the events
that unfolded, later in his book, has written that he was instructed by the
Union Home Ministry to release Anderson. What were the circumstances under
which Anderson got this unprecedented reprieve and a special VIP treatment
which led him safely escaping from India - with state patronage - have remained
a mystery despite inquiry commission inquiring into the issue.
Anderson and Union
Carbide, were put through scores of civil lawsuits filed in the United States,
which were consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of
New York. Unfortunately, all the cases filed against Anderson and his company
were dismissed by Judge John Keenan, in deference to efforts by the Indian
government to represent victims in litigation against Union Carbide in India. In
the year 1989, the litigation case against the Union Carbide in Indian courts resulted
in a settlement deal, as per which the Union Carbide was ordered to pay the
Indian government $470 million. The Supreme Court of India ratified the
agreement in 1991. But it also ordered a criminal prosecution of Union Carbide,
Anderson, and other former employees to proceed in Bhopal district court. Unfortunately,
since Anderson had fled the country, none of the defendants showed up for any
proceedings, and in 1992 the district court declared Anderson and others
“absconders” from justice and ordered the confiscation of Union Carbide’s
remaining assets in India. However, Mr Anderson remained untouched and was not
brought to justice and he passed away in US leaving behind a tale of mystery of
his escape from India, which will continue to remain a mystery.
Today as we commemorate
with sorrow the fortieth anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, this catastrophic
manmade disaster must serve as a sombre reminder of the need for vigilance,
accountability, and preparedness in industrial operations. As we remember those
thousands of lives lost, and many more lives maimed for life for generations, we
must also honour those who worked tirelessly to prevent an even greater
calamity. Heroes like Dr. Varadarajan and many others who worked under trying circumstances
to minimise the impact of the disaster remind us of the power of science and
leadership in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Let us hope and pray that
there will be no more such tragedies.
Images : Courtesy Wikipaedia
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