Five organisations working for the rights of the survivors of the Bhopal gas disaster called upon the State and Central Governments to urgently respond to the juridical issues concerning the gas disaster and the ongoing contamination of soil and groundwater.
Balkrishna Namdeo of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pension Bhogi Sangharsh Morcha said that on July 30, Justice Keenan in the Southern District Court of New York dismissed the matter concerning contamination of soil and ground water in and around the Union Carbide factory. According to him, the 17 plaintiffs from Bhopal represented by US-based attorneys from EarthRights International, Sharma and Deyoung llP, and the law Offices of Curtis V Trinko will appeal against the unjust order before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
"The State government was served notice by the US court in early March but despite the Chief Minister's declaration in the Assembly in 2010, the Government made no efforts to present the case for cleaning up of the Union Carbide factory site and its surroundings till the matter dismissed," said Rachna Dhingra, from the Bhopal Group for Information and Action, a solidarity organisation. "The State Government can still appear before the US court during the appeal process and make the Union Carbide pay for their reckless dumping of hazardous wastes. " she said.
The organisations also called for the Prime Minister's urgent intervention in the matter of the Curative Petition for compensation that is listed for hearing before the Supreme Court on August 5.
They have asked him to issue directions to ensure filing of an application before the Supreme Court for an amendment to the Curative Petition.
According to Rashida Bee of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, amendment of the petition is essential for correct figures of death and injury caused by the disaster to be presented before the apex court.