Bhopal: A Continuing Tragedy >> What Has Been Done >> Government

Government

Introduction

The first step to remedy this tragedy was completed on December 23, 1984, when local officials announced that the last of the MIC had been converted into pesticide, and that the city was safe from further damage. However, they did not know, that this was far from the truth. The gas had contaminated Bhopal's water source, which contributed to many damaging long and short term health effects, especially hazardous to the next unborn generation. The government also set up a 1 crore rupees (approximately $ 275,000 USD) fund to help the victims. However, the number of people affected was so great that each person only got enough money to cover approximately five years of medical expenses. The government has also promised to provide clean water; however, this has not happened yet.

Activists

Many activists of Bhopal have been going on rallies, hunger strikes, and campaigning actively in order to acquire the purification of the water contaminated, or extra redemption through capital. So far, they have gained not much but promises from the government, in order stop gaining bad publicity, and to stop the activists from going on other hunger strikes. The government also set up many more promises, though most of these did not get fulfilled either, except for a small minority of them. Sometimes, the activists do more major things to get themselves noticed, such as rallying in front of important politicians houses, or go on marches by foot halfway across the country.

“If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.”

-Thomas Jefferson, 3rd US President