Amnesty International said on Monday that the Dow Chemical Company (DCC) must stop dodging its responsibility towards the survivors of the Bhopal disaster, after an Indian court issued a third criminal summons to the company over the catastrophic 1984 gas leak which left thousands dead and many more with chronic and debilitating illnesses.
Amnesty International’s Director for Global Issues Audrey Gaughran said, “The time has come for Dow to appear in an Indian court and account for the failure of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), to respond to the criminal charges against it. Refusing to comply with the summons would be to treat the Indian justice system with contempt, undermining Dow’s credibility as an investor in India.”
For 13 years, US chemical giant Dow has denied that it has any responsibility towards the victims and survivors of Bhopal. In 2001, Dow acquired UCC, the US-based multinational that was majority owner of the company that operated the plant at the time of the leak. UCC has repeatedly ignored orders to appear before the Indian courts to answer criminal charges concerning the disaster. The summons makes it clear that, as 100 per cent owner, Dow has a responsibility to ensure UCC faces these charges.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the disaster. An estimated 22,000 people died following the leak and more than 570,000 were exposed to damaging levels of toxic gas. Many people in Bhopal still suffer from serious health problems. Pollution from the abandoned site has contaminated the local water supply and poses an ongoing threat to the health of surrounding communities.
The criminal summons, issued on Monday by the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal, is the third such summons to USbased Dow.