Bhopal Gas Tragedy: 30 Years On, Generations Affected

Bhopal: On a cold December night of 1984, Bhopal was struck by one of the worst industrial disasters when 40 tonnes of poisonous Methyl Isocynate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide factory, killing over 1700 and affecting more than 5 lakh people. Thirty years later, its effects are still visible in the children and grandchildren of those who survived.

Like Taha Qureshi, who was born 28 years after the gas tragedy and suffers from blood cancer. Both his parents Shamshad and Memuna are victims of the tragedy and suspect that because of their health condition their child could be suffering from this fatal disease.

"Me and my husband both are gas victims, there is a chance that because of it he may have been affected. Doctors say it will cost around 50 lakhs to cure him. We have spent around 7 lakhs. We arranged the money by mortgaging my jewellery and selling our shop. The government does not even acknowledge Taha as a gas victim. We could use help from the government to get him treated," said Memuna.

Activists claim even now over 5 lakh people suffer from the effects of the tragedy; they say many of the second and third generation children are born with congenital defects, cerebral palsy, and even cancer.

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The activists also say that the government turned a blind eye to thousands of second and third generation gas victims, as they are not entitled to free medical assistance. "What we have observed is that a family consuming the polluted ground water for three years is more likely to have child with defects or abnormalities. Also the number of children born with medical problems are most in the colonies where gas victims have settled. We tried raising this issue with the government but they did not show any interest," said Rashida Bi, who runs a care centre for such victims.

But the government has maintained that there is no official study or research that could establish that the ill effects of the gas poisoning is being passed from one generation to another.

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"When we talk of genetic linkage or transmission of effect of gas exposure to the first or second or third generation, we lack evidence right now. Yes definitely there is a need for such study, there is one  study underway which is looking at the genetic changes in the siblings of the gas victims. But its finding will only be known by 2016," Dr Manoj Pandey, Director Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre.