Bhopal gas tragedy: NGOs approach Supreme Court for more compensation to those with cancer, kidney disorders

Bhopal: Four organizations working for those affected by the Bhopal gas tragedy, the world's worst industrial disaster, on Saturday said they have filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court seeking additional compensation for the victims suffering from cancer and kidney disorders.

A total of 5,479 people were killed and more than five lakh were affected physically following a toxic gas leak from the Union Carbide factory here in the intervening night of December 2 and 3 in 1984.

"The petition was filed two days ago to rectify the injustice in compensation given to the survivors. We are expecting it to be heard on December 3, which is the 40th the anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, " Rachna Dhingra of the Bhopal Group for Information & Action told reporters here.

The petition seeks additional compensation for survivors with cancers and kidney diseases whose injuries from gas exposure were wrongfully categorised as temporary, she said.

"Union Carbide's own documents clearly state that health damage due to Methyl isocyanate exposure is permanent in nature. Yet, 93 per cent of claimants for compensation have been considered by the official agency to have suffered only "temporary" injury. This is the main reason for under-compensation of the victims. This is wrongful categorization of exposure induced injuries," Dhingra alleged.

Sharing information received through RTI pleas, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangathan president Rashida Bee said, "According to official records, 90 per cent of the 11,278 survivors who were diagnosed with cancers and 91 per cent of 1,855 survivors diagnosed with fatal kidney diseases have only received Rs 25,000 as compensation apart from ex-gratia." Balkrishna Namdeo of Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogee Sangharsh Morcha claimed former Orissa High Court chief justice Dr S Muralidhar has consented to present the plea of the four NGOs in the apex court.

"Earlier, Justice Muralidhar had secured our rights to adequate health care from the apex court and pro-rata compensation for all claimants," he added.

Citing Supreme Court orders of 1991 and 2023, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha president Nawab Khan claimed the Supreme Court has clearly said any shortfall in compensation to the Bhopal gas tragedy victims must be made good by the Union government.

"Our plea for additional compensation of at least Rs 5 lakh for survivors diagnosed with cancers and fatal kidney diseases is to rectify what is a clear case of shortfall," he said.