OneWorld.net (U.S.)

Bhopal: More than 200 Bhopalis, led by survivors organisations, today entered the Union Carbide factory site to stop the illegal pre-remediation work being carried out by Ramky Pharma City Ltd.

For three days, survivors and residents living adjacent to the Carbide factory site have complained of extreme distress due to the pesticide dust generated by the shoddy handling of pesticides within the factory site. Despite repeated requests by residents to follow best international practices in handling the toxic wastes within the factory, the Madhya Pradesh Government and Ramky went ahead with pre-remediation work using unprotected workers -- working without masks or gloves -- in clear violation of Hazardous Waste Management Rules, 1989.

Survivors and residents say they had to take this extreme step after waiting in vain for three days for the Madhya Pradesh State Government and the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee on Hazardous Wastes (SCMC) to stop what was clearly a dangerous and illegal activity. First hand reports from Bhopal confirm that people in the settlements adjacent to the factory site are suffering from symptoms of poisoning including headaches, nausea, vomitting and giddiness. Goldman awardee and Bhopal activist Rashida Bee speaks of a 6-month old child who went to bed normal, but awoke on 17th June with her face and body swollen. More than 20,000 people, including survivors, reside in the vicinity of the Union Carbide factory. Most of them suffer from chronic illnesses either because they're survivors or because they have been consuming water that has been contaminated with Carbide's poisons. Earlier studies confirmed the presence of dangerous levels of chemicals, including mercury, in the blood and breast milk of residents near the factory.

"It goes without saying that these people are hypersensitive to chemicals, and need to be protected even more than normal populations are from chemicals like these," said Satinath Sarangi of Bhopal Group for Information and Action. Sarangi is also managing trustee of the Sambhavna Trust Clinic which provides free medical care to survivors.

More...