Even after the passage of 27 years, there is still no consensus over the number of victims of the Bhopal gas disaster.
The leakage of methyl isocyanate gas from (since defunct) Union Carbide pesticides plant in Bhopal on the night of December 2 and 3 led to the worst industrial disaster in the world, in which thousands perished and many more suffered permanent ill-effects.
The two prominent NGOs that are fighting for the rights of the victims – Bhopal Group for Information and Action (BGIA) and Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangthan – say that the actual figure of casualties is much higher than the official figure.
“The Madhya Pradesh government has put the death toll at 5,295 in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court,” said Ms Rachna Dhingra of BGIA.
But in another criminal petition filed in the apex court, the Government put the death toll at 15,248, she said, adding that it was for the Government to tell which figure was correct.
According to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), which had conducted a study titled `Health Effects of the Toxic Gas Leak from the Union Carbide between 1985-1994', there were 2,500 deaths by 1985.
Around 3,500 ‘spontaneous abortions' took place during the period 1984-1989. “The report further shows that 9,667 people died between 1985-1993 due to the after-effects,” Ms Dhingra said.
According to her, even if it was assumed that the death rate due to the after-effects of gas leak between 1994-2001 was down to half of what it was between 1985-1993, and to one-fourth between 2002-2009, another 7,250 deaths must be attributed to the tragedy. Which meant, at least 22,917 persons had perished owing to the gas leak till 2009.
Similarly, the figures for those who suffered permanent/temporary injuries too are uncertain, she said.
Till 2004, over 3.5 lakh persons had approached Bhopal Memorial Hospital and other relief hospitals for treatment of gas tragedy-related ailments, Ms Dhingra said.
Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangthan's convener, Mr Abdul Jabbar, said that after the tragedy, 15,274 death claims and over 5.73 lakh claims for injuries were filed, and very few were rejected.
However, the Madhya Pradesh minister for `Gas Tragedy and Relief', Mr Babulal Gaur, said the Government had arrived at the death figure only on the basis of medical certificates.
Mr Jabbar said the actual figure must be higher. “God knows how long the survivors will have to wait for justice,” he added.