Bhopal gas tragedy: MP Government plans memorial at cleaned up Union Carbide site

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday said a memorial to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy victims will be built on the site of the Union Carbide factory that was cleaned of hazardous waste recently.

The memorial will be built after taking into confidence all sections of society and under the guidance of the High Court, Yadav said, while becoming the first CM in the State to visit the site at Arif Nagar and its core area without wearing a safety mask.

The methyl isocyanide (MIC) gas leak in the intervening night of December 2-3 in 1984 killed thousands and left lakhs fighting debilitating illnesses for life. It is generally considered the worst industrial disaster in the world.

“The chemical waste lay there for nearly 40 years. Under the guidance of the High Court, our government successfully disposed of the chemical waste without any environmental damage or human loss,” he said.

“By taking all sections of society and affected parties into confidence, and under the guidance of the High Court, we will now proceed to build a memorial for those who died in the Bhopal gas tragedy on this now-cleaned campus. The State Government stands with all gas victims at every step and will spare no effort for their welfare,” the CM said.

During his visit, Yadav also discussed with officials of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department regarding the construction of the memorial. After the disposal of the waste linked to the gas leak, the State Government is making all necessary arrangements for the proper development of the complex, along with the construction of the Bhopal Metropolitan Area, Yadav added.

He pointed out that the disaster took place during the rule of the opposition party (referring to the Congress), adding that the then Government acted negligently and left the area unattended. “They made no decision to remove the toxic waste from the factory and closed the factory to all after this horrific tragedy. Even during the UPA Government’s tenure at the Centre, nothing was done to develop this gas-affected area. The scene of deaths that Bhopal witnessed will never fade from our memories,” he said.

The State Government now has worked to remove this stigma from the capital, for which all affected parties, including the Gas Relief Department, deserve praise, Yadav added. The then Government helped Warren Anderson, the Union Carbide CEO at the time, to escape, Yadav said. Rahul Gandhi must apologise to the nation for this, he added.

“Following court orders, our government disposed of Union Carbide’s toxic waste last year. This also serves as a message to the world about how modern scientific methods can be used to dispose of toxic waste without causing environmental or human harm,” he said.

While returning from the inspection of the Union Carbide factory premises, Yadav stopped his convoy at the request of a woman praying in Arif Nagar. Those present for the visit included the CM’s secretary Alok Kumar Singh, Public Relations Commissioner Deepak Kumar Saxena, Gas Relief Director Swatantra Kumar Singh, Municipal Commissioner Sanskriti Jain, among others.