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Over 3 Decades After Bhopal Gas Tragedy, Families Struggle To Pick up Threads of Life

January 19, 2021 | News18
By
Jitendra Bisht, photos by Rohit Jain
Hassan Khan, 23, and Nawab Khan, 20, both brothers, suffer from cerebral palsy caused by the consumption of contaminated groundwater. Due to their poor health, even basic things like crossing railway lines on the way to their home is a struggle. Image by Rohit Jain. India, 2018.

Hassan Khan, 23, and Nawab Khan, 20, both brothers, suffer from cerebral palsy caused by the consumption of contaminated groundwater. Due to their poor health, even basic things like crossing railway lines on the way to their home is a struggle. Image by Rohit Jain. India, 2018.

Manisha’s parents were unknowingly consuming contaminated groundwater before she was born. The 13-year-old was eventually diagnosed with cerebral palsy and intellectual disability and needs regular therapy to do basic day-to-day activities. Image by Rohit Jain. India, undated.

Manisha’s parents were unknowingly consuming contaminated groundwater before she was born. The 13-year-old was eventually diagnosed with cerebral palsy and intellectual disability and needs regular therapy to do basic day-to-day activities. Image by Rohit Jain. India, undated.

The abandoned Union Carbide Factory is seen from Atal Ayyub Nagar, one of the most affected areas. Image by Rohit Jain. India, undated.

The abandoned Union Carbide Factory is seen from Atal Ayyub Nagar, one of the most affected areas. Image by Rohit Jain. India, undated.

Fifteen-year-old Tahmina’s grandmother recalls hearing a lot of noise coming from the nearby cinema hall followed by people running and panicking. Her eyes started burning, and she fainted after a while. Tahmina’s father, aunt, and grandparents were exposed to MIC gas that night. Many years later, Tahmina was diagnosed with autism and ADHD. Image by Rohit Jain. India, undated.

Fifteen-year-old Tahmina’s father, aunt, and grandparents were exposed to MIC gas. Many years later, Tahmina was diagnosed with autism and ADHD. Image by Rohit Jain. India, undated.

Nida's paternal grandparents who live within two kilometres from the UCIL factory were severely exposed to the gas. Her grandmother died a year after the incident. Nida, now 12-years-old, was diagnosed with Down's syndrome and an autoimmune disorder called Alopecia. Nida's mother was seven and remembers coughing a lot the night of the gas leak. Image by Rohit Jain. India, undated.

Nida's paternal grandparents, who live within two kilometers from the UCIL factory were severely exposed to the gas. Her grandmother died a year after the incident. Nida, now 12, was diagnosed with Down's syndrome and an autoimmune disorder called Alopecia. Nida's mother was seven and remembers coughing a lot the night of the gas leak. Image by Rohit Jain. India, undated.

Ten-year-old Alfez spends a lot of time with his siblings and cousins who are among the few who understand his condition well. He was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) and currently undergoes regular therapy. His father was one-and-a-half-years-old when he and his family inhaled the poisonous gas. Image by Rohit Jain. India, undated.

Ten-year-old Alfez was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and currently undergoes regular therapy. His father was one-and-a-half years old when he and his family inhaled the poisonous gas. Image by Rohit Jain. India, undated.

AbhiBatham has to take occupational and speech therapy regularly as he has an intellectual disability with weak vision and stiffness in his hands. His parents and grandparents were all exposed to the gas. His grandmother was most severely affected and was later diagnosed with cancer, losing her life to it. Image by Rohit Jain. India, undated.

AbhiBatham has to take occupational and speech therapy regularly. He has an intellectual disability with weak vision and stiffness in his hands. His parents and grandparents were all exposed to the gas. His grandmother was most severely affected and was later diagnosed with cancer, losing her life to it. Image by Rohit Jain. India, undated.

Mohd Shafiq was eight years old when his mother vomited blood due to inhalation of MIC gas leaked from the UCIL factory. Thirty years later, Shafiq was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hypertension (HTN). For the last eight years, he has been on dialysis, which he has to take twice a week.

Last month, Shafiq had symptoms of Covid-19 and the BMHRC put his dialysis on hold until they received his Covid-19 test report. Due to a delay in dialysis, his conditions worsened. He had swelling in his entire body. He was later admitted to another hospital and given dialysis as soon as he was tested positive.

The deaths of four workers at the Rourkela Steel Plant last week due to a toxic gas leak is the latest in India's long toll of industrial disasters. Last year alone saw 30 odd minor and major such events including the LG polymers gas leak in Visakhapatnam and the Baghjan gas leak in Assam. While most such preventable "accidents" make the news, the lifelong consequences they leave for their victims, including the environment, generally don't. The Bhopal gas leak disaster is a case in point.

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