Bhopal gas disaster, a full description of conditions prevailed at union carbide corporation, minor injuries and other plant related shortcomings and a part on union of India against union carbide corporation

1. BHOPAL GAS
TRAGEDY
BINDU
Dept. of Pharma
sciences
MDU Rohtak

2. THE BHOPAL DISASTER
Around 1 a.m. on Monday, the 3rd of December, 1984, In the city
of Bhopal, Central India, a poisonous vapour burst from the tall
stacks of the Union Carbide pesticide plant.
This vapour was a highly toxic cloud of methyl isocyanate.
2,000 died immediately
300,000 were injured
7,000 animals were injured, of which about one thousand were
killed.

3. COMPANY INVOLVED
Union Carbide
Corporation
Started in 1969 in bhopal
Phosgene, Monomethlyamine, Methyl Isocyanate (MIC)
and the pesticide Carbaryl, also known as Sevin.
Taken over by DOW Chemicals in 2001.
DOW refused Union Carbide’s Liabilities in Bhopal,
India. 3

6. TECHNICAL VIEW

7. AFFECTED AREA

8. THE POSSIBLE CAUSE
A tank containing methyl isocyanate (MIC) leaked.
MIC is an extremely reactive chemical and is used in production of
the insecticide carbaryl.
The scientific reason for the accident was that water entered the tank
where about 40 cubic meters of MIC was stored.
When water and MIC mixed, an exothermic chemical reaction started,
producing a lot of heat.
As a result, the safety valve of the tank burst because of the increase
in pressure.
It is presumed that between 20 and 30 tonnes of MIC were released
during the hour that the leak took place.
The gas leaked from a 30 m high chimney and this height was not
enough to reduce the effects of the discharge.

9. WEATHER CONDITION
The high moisture content (aerosol) in the discharge when
evaporating, gave rise to a heavy gas which rapidly sank to the
ground.
A weak wind which frequently changed direction, which in turn
helped the gas to cover more area in a shorter period of time
(about one hour).
The weak wind and the weak vertical turbulence caused a slow
dilution of gas and thus allowed the poisonous gas to spread over
considerable distances.

10. PLANT CONDITION
The pesticide factory was built in midst of highly dense
populated area.
The work force was brought down by half from 1980 to
1984.
The size of work crew was cut in half from 12 to 6 workers.
The maintenance supervisor had been eliminated.
The period of safety training to workers was brought down
from 6 month to 15 days.

11. PLANT CONDITION CONT.
UCIL chose to store MIC( permitted exposure is 0.02 ppm
in USA and BRITAIN)
MIC was filled to 87% of its capacity.
Vital gauges and indicator in MIC tank were defective.
Refrigeration and cooling system had been shut down 5
months before disaster.

12. GAS VENT SCRUBBER
STACKS

13. FLARE TOWER

14. THE WATER WASHING THEORY
According to this story, an MIC operator was told to wash a section
of a subheader of the relief valve vent header ("RVVH") in the MIC
manufacturing unit.
Because he failed to insert a slip-blind, the water supposedly backed
up into the header and eventually found its way into the tank.
Because he failed to insert a slip-blind, as called for by plant
standard operating procedures, the water supposedly backed up into
the header and eventually found its way into the tank and flowed 400
feet to the tank
Conclusive reports indicated that 2000 lbs of water entered the tank.

15. THE DIRECT-ENTRY THEORY
During the shift change -- that a disgruntled operator
entered the storage area and hooked up one of the readily
available rubber water hoses to Tank with the intention of
contaminating and spoiling the tank's contents.
He unscrewed the local pressure indicator, which can be
easily accomplished by hand, and connected the hose to
the tank. The entire operation could be completed within
five minutes.

16. UCIL BEFORE THE DISASTER
1980-Plant had cause death and injury to many.
1981-plant operator was killed by phosgene gas leak.
1982-three american engineer’s reported that surrounding
was not according to the standards.

18. POLITICAL DECISION
In dec.1982 issue of danger posed by the pesticide plant to
Bhopal was raised in assembly in Madhya Pradesh.
T.S. Viyogi , labour minister allayed all fear saying , ” a
sum of Rs.250 million has been invested in this unit. The
factory is not a small stone , which can be shifted
elsewhere.”
There is no danger to Bhopal , nor will there be

19. LEGAL VIEW

20. OFFENCE TAKEN BY UCC
Following the accident ,GOI filed a compensation lawsuit
against the UCC for an estimated US$3 billion
in 1986 UCC filed a countersuit against GOI and state of
Madhya Pradesh
They said GOI was also responsible for same because
they knew the toxicity of MIC but failed to take adequate
precaution to prevent disaster.

21. DOCUMENTARY PROOF ?
Under two section “first step at control” and “contingency
planning and experience help”
A task force was set by Warren Anderson and a medical and
technical team were dispatched to the site with in 24 hours.
BUT
UCC does not have any kind of emergency plan in at its Indian
subsidiry.

22. DOCUMENTARY PROOF?
UCC tried to defend its position by saying that it had only
50.9% stake in UCIL.
The said that all the employee in the company were Indian
and that……”the last American employee at the site had left
2 year before.
UCC argued that day- to –day working of UCIL was
independent of parent company.

23. THE SETTLEMENT
GOI- legal representative of victim for legal dealing(in
ordinance)
Then replaced by Bhopal Leak (Process of Claim)Act,1985
Then GOI filed suit in United State District Court for the
Southern District of New York
Judge J. F. Keenan asked UCC as ‘a matter of
fundamental decency’ to provide an interim relief payment $
5-10 million

24. LITIGATION IN INDIA
Dec. 17 ,1987-Bhopal district court Judge passed order directing
UCC to pay Rs.3.5 billion as interim relief
UCC challenged this order in MP high court
On April 4th , Justice S.K. Seth of high court reduced the interim
compensation to Rs. 2.5 billion .
Then UCC appealed in SC
On 14th feb. 1989 SC directed UCC to pay up US$ 470 million in
full and final settlement .

25. LITIGATION IN INDIA CONT.
in 1991,Bhopal court summoned Warren Anderson to
appear on a charge of ‘homicide in a criminal case’.
However , he did not turn up.
On September 9, 1993 UCC sold its entire 50.9% stake in
UCIL to the Calcutta based Mc Leod Russel India Ltd.
In August 1999, Dow chemical purchased UCC for US$ 9.3
billion

26. CONCLUSION
The Bhopal gas tragedy could have been averted.
There were lapses on part of the government and UCC.
The actual reason for the tragedy is contrary to popular belief.
An alternate way to produce carbaryl was suggested.
Design of Inherently safer process was required.

27. REFERENCES
www.timesnow.tv/Bhopal-gas-tragedy-case-
judgement.../4371651.cms
www.indiankanoon.org/search/?formInput=bhopal%20gas%20trag
edy
www.bhopal.com/reports-and-studies/union-carbide-disaster-at-
bhopal
www.econ.upf.edu/~lemenestrel/IMG/pdf/bhopal_gas_tragedy_dutt
a.pdf
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster