government wants more compensation for Bhopal Gas Tragedy

The central government moved the Supreme Court to enhance compensation for Bhopal Gas Tragedy victims on the 26th anniversary of the world?s worst industrial disaster.

According to reports, in its curative petition, the Centre on Friday said the compensation should be increased from Rs 750 crores (allotted in February, 1989) to Rs 5000 crores.

The petition said there were errors in the death figures as presented to the apex court during the 1989 judgement.

The government said it wants Rs. 315 crore to be shelled out for environmental degradation in Bhopal.

On the intervening night of 2/3 December 1984, the inhabitants of the city of Bhopal became victims of the world’s worst industrial disaster. 40 tonnes of methyl iscocyanate (MIC – a highly volatile toxic chemical) stored at the pesticide plant – owned by Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), a subsidiary of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), USA – was contaminated with water and other impurities.

As a result, a mixture of deadly gases escaped from the factory killing several thousands of people and inflicting grievous injuries on at least 500,000 others.

Earlier this year, a lower court in Bhopal had awarded mere two years of imprisonment to seven convicted Union Carbide officials for the incident.