BHOPAL: Neither the government nor voluntary organisations know the number of gas victims in the city.
In 1991, compensation was distributed to 1, 02,000 injured persons and to the kin of 3000 deceased. The compilation of claims settled by the gas claim courts revealed that in 2004, compensation was given to 5.74 lakh injured persons and kin of 15,000 deceased.
Neither the government nor the NGOs know the exact number of gas victims still surviving. No one is in a position to say how many gas victims have passed away since 2004. Director, gas relief KG Tiwari was outstation on training.
Senior gas relief directorate officer KK Dube said as per the government records, there were 5.74 lakh gas victims. This is the same figure
Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sagathan Abdul Jabbar said, “We have already filed curative petition in Supreme Court and in 2010, union government also filed curative petition in Supreme to correct the figure of gas victims. We want the figure of 5.74 lakh to be incorporated in Supreme Court. The state government should also take initiative in this matter.” Five survivors’ organisations Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pension Bhogee Sangharsh Morcha, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha, Bhopal Group for Information and Action and Children Against Dow/Carbide organised a march demanding adequate compensation, clean up of environmental contamination and exemplary punishment of Union Carbide and Dow Chemical.
