The Bhopal Saga—Causes and Consequences of the World's Largest Industrial Disaster

Abstract

This is the book I published in India on time for the 20th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Leak in 1984. Since I was in Bhopal for the first time, as a member of the International Medical Commission on Bhopal 1994, I have collected all material that I could find. The list of references contains more than 200 items. The Bhopal Saga contains little new information that has not been published before. But the material is structured, systematized and analysed. It covers the period from the Green Revolution during the 60s until 2003. The Bhopal Saga covers technical, medical, economic, social, psychological and environmental aspects of the disaster. I show that the figure for immediate deaths should be more than 8,000 people. The official figure is 4,000. I also show the whole range of diseases and symptoms that has hit the survivors, as well as the insufficient support from the Governments and Union Carbide. My analysis shows that the causes of the leakage were the design of the plant and the economic pressure. The parties responsible for the magnitude of the disaster are Union Carbide Corporation and the Governments of India and Madhya Pradesh.The publisher is Universities Press (India) Private Ltd, Hyderabad. The book's royalty goes to Sambhavna Clinic.