113-757: All Saints' School, Bhopal is an English medium school located at Idgah Hills Bhopal , India . It was founded in 1980 by Iris Cynthia Philomene Auer. Miss Auer came to India after she retired as principal of a school in England. From seven pupils in July 1980, the strength has grown to over 2,500 pupils. Miss Auer's was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire ( MBE ) in the Queen 's Birthday Honours List in 1989. The Principal and Chairperson of All Saints' School
226-639: A miscarriage rate 7x higher than the national average. A 2014 report in Mother Jones quotes a "spokesperson for the Bhopal Medical Appeal, which runs free health clinics for survivors" as saying "An estimated 120,000 to 150,000 survivors still struggle with serious medical conditions including nerve damage, growth problems, gynaecological disorders, respiratory issues, birth defects, and elevated rates of cancer and tuberculosis." The Government of India had focused primarily on increasing
339-547: A 19-gun salute and the Grand Cross of the Star of India. The latter made her equivalent to a British person, who had been granted a knighthood. Thus she became, at that time, the only female knight in the entire British Empire besides Queen Victoria. Among the relatively minor rewards, a territory was restored to her, that she had earlier lost to a neighbouring prince. Sikandar ruled until 1868, when Shah Jehan succeeded her and
452-791: A black and white photo. The photographers did not ask for the identity of the father or child as she was buried and no relative has since confirmed it. As such, the identity of the girl remains unknown. Both photos became symbolic of the suffering of victims of the Bhopal disaster, and Bartholomew went on to win the 1984 World Press Photo of the Year. Within a few days, trees in the vicinity became barren, and bloated animal carcasses had to be disposed of. 170,000 people were treated at hospitals and temporary dispensaries, and 2,000 buffalo, goats, and other animals were collected and buried. Supplies, including food, became scarce owing to suppliers' safety fears. Fishing
565-683: A clean slate" in November 1988. Eventually, in an out-of-court settlement reached in February 1989, Union Carbide agreed to pay US$ 470 million for damages caused in the Bhopal disaster. The amount was immediately paid. Throughout 1990, the Indian Supreme Court heard appeals against the settlement. In October 1991, the Supreme Court upheld the original $ 470 million , dismissing any other outstanding petitions that challenged
678-417: A dam ( pal ) constructed by the king's minister. An alternative theory says that the city is named after another king called Bhupala (or Bhupal). According to yet another version, Raja Bhoj suffered from leprosy. His physician advised him to build a lake with water from 365 rivers and take daily bath in it. When such a lake was built, it was called Bhoj Tal [or Bhoj's lake]. Gradually people started calling
791-411: A fine of about $ 2,000 each, the maximum punishment allowed by Indian law . All were released on bail shortly after the verdict. An eighth former employee was also convicted, but died before the judgement was passed. The UCIL factory was built in 1969 to produce the pesticide Sevin (UCC's brand name for carbaryl ) using methyl isocyanate (MIC) as an intermediate. An MIC production plant was added to
904-586: A gap of 25 years, the state capital's masterplan 2031 was finally released in March 2020 by the Directorate of Town and Country Planning, Madhya Pradesh. The previous masterplan of 1995 was valid until 2005; and Bhopal had no masterplan between 2005 and 2020. Bhopal Municipal Corporation was ranked 3rd out of 21 Cities for best governance and administrative practices in India in 2014. It scored 3.7 on 10 compared to
1017-637: A hot summer and a humid monsoon season. Summers start in late March and go on until mid-June, the average temperature being around 30 °C (86 °F), with the peak of summer in May, when the highs regularly exceed 40 °C (104 °F) Extreme high in May was 46.7 °C on 19 May 2016 and in June it was 45.9 °C on 7 June 2019. The monsoon starts in late June and ends in late September. These months see about 40 inches (1020 mm) of precipitation, frequent thunderstorms and flooding. The average temperature
1130-496: A resolution to involve local citizens in cleaning, conserving and maintaining the lakes. Bhopal city is divided into two parts where one part which is near the VIP and lake is Old Bhopal (north) and the other, New Bhopal (south), where malls are mainly situated. List of pin codes from Bhopal is 462001 to 462050 which comes under Bhopal postal division (Bhopal Region). Bhopal has a humid subtropical climate (Cwa), with cool, dry winters,
1243-521: A ring-road around Bhopal which connects it to Jabalpur in the East (via NH 45 ) and Jaipur to the North west. NH 146 , a branch of NH 46 , connects the city to Sagar and Kanpur in the North. State Highway 18 connects the city with Indore (with Sehore and Dewas on the way). State Highway 23 connects the city to Guna and Berasia in the north. An interstate bus terminus was inaugurated in 2011,
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#17327941537351356-401: A significant portion of the population depending on ground water (tubewells, handpumps) as well as privately owned and unaccounted for dugwells and borewells. According to a study done in 2014, piped water supply in the city covers about 6% of the population; however, irregular and bad quality of water supply is a common complaint in the city. The system of solid waste disposal in urban areas
1469-557: A technical team, immediately travelled to India. Upon arrival, Anderson was placed under house arrest and urged by the Indian government to leave the country within 24 hours. Union Carbide organized a team of international medical experts, as well as supplies and equipment, to work with the local Bhopal medical community, and the UCC technical team began assessing the cause of the gas leak. The health care system immediately became overloaded. In
1582-676: A three-month pilot and if the pilot is successful, the clinics will be opened in other places as well. As of 2017, the city of Bhopal produces 310 MLD of sewage per day, of which only 50 MLD is treated in the 7 Sewage treatment plants that have a capacity of 80 MLD. Most of the sewage reaches water bodies, the Upper and Lower Lake, Motia Lake, Siddique Hasan Lake, Munshi Hussain Khan Lake. There are about 800 large drains in Bhopal. About 80% sewerage water mixes with storm water drains main drains include Patra, Mandi and Hataikheda, Jatkhedi. After
1695-559: Is Mrs. Kaiser Zaman (popularly known as "Bia") . She is an alumnus of University of Oxford , B.Ed and was a student of Miss Auer. She founded All Saints' College Of technology which is an engineering college of Bhopal M.P. It was visited by Former president late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam in 2013. To the Highest . The school has four houses: Vindhya, Himachal, Yamuna and Ganga. There is an annual House Competition with contests, including dancing, singing, elocution , and drama. Saints' Circle
1808-584: Is OK", and on the last attempt made, "we don't know what has happened, sir". With the lack of timely information exchange between UCIL and Bhopal authorities, the city's Hamidia Hospital was first told that the gas leak was suspected to be ammonia , then later phosgene. Finally, they received an updated report that it was "MIC" (rather than "methyl isocyanate"), which hospital staff had never heard of, had no antidote for, and knew no immediate information about. The MIC gas leak emanating from tank E610 petered out at approximately 2:00 a.m. Fifteen minutes later,
1921-493: Is a charitable trust, registered in 1995, that gives modern as well as ayurvedic treatments to gas victims, free of charge. When the factory was closed in 1986, pipes, drums and tanks were sold. The MIC and the Sevin plants are still there, as are storages of different residues. Isolation material is falling down and spreading. The area around the plant was used as a dumping area for hazardous chemicals. In 1982 tube wells in
2034-464: Is also part of the larger urban agglomeration of Bhopal, with a population of 1,883,381. The first municipal body that governed the municipal population of the city came into being in 1907 in erstwhile Bhopal estate, and was called Majlis-e-intezamia". The first city survey was conducted in 1916 after the enactment of Municipal act. Till 1956, the area under Bhopal Municipal limit was very small, after which surrounding villages were added to it. By 1975,
2147-626: Is an annual Muslim world preachers congregation, is held at Eint khedi, 11 km from Bhopal. The annual congregation near Bhopal attracts between 5,00,000 and 10,00,000 Muslims globally. The Nawabs of Bhopal built several structures including the Taj-ul-Masajid and Taj Mahal palace in Indo-Islamic and European styles. Bharat Bhavan is the main cultural centre of the city, and hosts many theatre and film festivals every year. It has an art gallery, an open-air amphitheatre facing
2260-474: Is around 25 °C (77 °F) and the humidity is quite high. Temperatures rise again up to early November when winter starts, which lasts up to early March. Winters in Bhopal are cool, and not very much comfortable like summers, with average daily temperatures around 18 °C (64 °F). The winter peaks in January when temperatures may drop close to freezing on some nights. Lowest temperature ever recorded
2373-624: Is governed by the municipality under the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules 2000. These rules have been framed under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. The city of Bhopal generates 900 tonnes of solid waste. As of 2018, only 1.5% of this waste is segregated. While the municipality website states that door-to-door collection was started by BMC at each zone and ward level from 15 August 2013, Free Press Journal has reported in 2020 that
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#17327941537352486-553: Is home to a large number of institutes of National Importance in India, namely, IISER , MANIT , SPA , AIIMS , NLIU , IIFM , NIFT , NIDMP and IIIT (currently functioning from a temporary campus inside MANIT ). Bhopal city also has Regional Science Centre, Bhopal , one of the constituent units of the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM). The city attracted international attention in December 1984 after
2599-639: Is located in the central part of India, just north of the upper limit of the Vindhya mountain ranges. Located on the Malwa plateau, it is higher than the north Indian plains and the land rises towards the Vindhya Range to the south. The city has uneven elevation and has small hills within its boundaries. The prominent hills in Bhopal are the Idgah, Arera and Shyamala hills in the northern region, together with
2712-755: Is located near the suburb of Bairagarh (formerly known as Sant Hirdaram Nagar) and is the primary airport serving the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. There are three routes or ways to reach the airport: (1) Via Bairagad, (2) Via Panchvati, (3) Via Gandhi Nagar road (N.H 12). From within the city, VIP Road, a four-lane road takes one to the airport, which lies 15 km to the north of the city. International flights began operations in 2010. Air India, Spice Jet and Indigo operate domestic direct flight services. As of April 2023, Bhopal has non-stop flights to New Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Udaipur, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mopa, Agra, Prayagraj and Raipur. There are no international flights from Bhopal. National Highway 46 forms
2825-791: Is one of the few states in India, which uses the Mayor-in-Council (MIC) system and hence the elected representatives of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation are also organised as MIC. There are multiple municipal departments in BMC such as Health and Environment; Education, Social JusticeFood and Culture; Planning and Rehabilitation; Public Relations and Library; Fire Brigade and Transport; Power; Engineering; Revenue and Project; Accounting; JnNURM; M.P.U.S.P and General Administration. Elections held for 85 wards of Bhopal Municipal Corporation on 6 July 2022 As of September 2020,
2938-529: Is the alumni association for students. Bhopal bhopal .city Bhopal ( / b oʊ ˈ p ɑː l / ; ISO : Bhōpāla, Hindi: [bʱoːpaːl] ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division . It is known as the City of Lakes, due to presence of various natural and artificial lakes near
3051-453: Is to be expected "according to [the] established cultural practice" within large corporations such as UCC. Since UCC absolved itself from the situation, the Indian government was the next institution that was looked to by the people of Bhopal, but they had also not prepared for such an event. The government's attempts at short and long-term plans failed in successfully aiding victims and instead "created an ecology of opportunity… built largely at
3164-451: The Bhopal disaster , when a Union Carbide pesticide manufacturing plant (now owned by Dow Chemical Company ) leaked a mixture of deadly gases composed mainly of methyl isocyanate , leading to the worst industrial disaster in history. The Bhopal disaster continues to be a part of the socio-political debate and a logistical challenge for the people of Bhopal. Bhopal was selected as one of
3277-535: The Government of Madhya Pradesh paid compensation to the family members of 3,787 victims killed in the gas release, and to 574,366 injured victims. A government affidavit in 2006 stated that the leak caused 558,125 injuries, including 38,478 temporary partial injuries and approximately 3,900 severely and permanently disabling injuries. Others estimate that 8,000 died within two weeks, and another 8,000 or more have since died from gas-related diseases. The owner of
3390-666: The Kushabhau Thakre Inter State Bus Terminal is located near the Habibganj railway station . Railways started in Bhopal in 1884 when the Bhopal–Itarsi section of New Delhi–Chennai main line was opened. Bhopal Junction railway station was opened in 1884 and is a junction station on the Delhi–Chennai line and Ujjain–Bhopal section . A total of 234 trains halt/originate/terminate at
3503-768: The Nawabs of Bhopal until India's independence in 1947. Bhopal has a strong economic base with numerous large and medium industries operating in and around the city. Bhopal is considered as one of the important financial and economic destinations in Madhya Pradesh's two strong wealth pillars, the other being Indore . Bhopal's GDP(nominal) was estimated at INR 44,175 crores (2020–21) by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Madhya Pradesh. A Y-class city , Bhopal houses various educational and research institutions and installations of national importance, including ISRO 's Master Control Facility , BHEL and AMPRI . Bhopal
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3616-602: The Vidhan Sabha , which seats 230 members of Legislative Assembly. The sixteenth (and current) Vidhan Sabha was elected in December 2023. As of June 2024 , the party in the majority in Vidhan Sabha is Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) with 165 seats which is led by Mohan Yadav . Bhopal district elects seven seats to the Assembly, and as per delimitation in 2008, Bhopal city is represented in 6 constituencies: It
3729-482: The "Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster Act" that gave the government rights to represent all victims, whether or not in India. Complaints of lack of information or misinformation were widespread. An Indian government spokesman said, "Carbide is more interested in getting information from us than in helping our relief work". Formal statements were issued that air, water, vegetation, and foodstuffs were safe, but people were warned not to consume fish. The number of children exposed to
3842-521: The 42 tons of MIC that had been there since late October. The introduction of water into the tank resulted in a runaway exothermic reaction , which was accelerated by contaminants, high ambient temperatures, and various other factors such as the presence of iron from corroding non-stainless steel pipelines. The pressure in tank E610, although initially nominal at 14 kilopascals (2 psi) at 10:30 p.m., reached 70 kilopascals (10 psi) as of 11 p.m. Two different senior refinery employees assumed
3955-428: The Bhopal metropolitan area (the urban agglomeration that extends beyond Bhopal city) was 1,886,100 in 2011. The total effective literacy rate (for population aged 7+ years) was 85.24%, with male and female literacy respectively at 89.2% and 80.1%. Bhopal is the name of the division, as well as the district and the capital city of the district. The division is headed by the commissioner and additional commissioner for
4068-517: The Katara hills in the southern region. There are 17 lakes and 5 reservoirs biggest of them are upper lake ( Bada Talab ) and lower lake . The Upper Lake was built in the 11th century and has a surface area of 36 km and catchment area of 361 km while the Lower Lake has a surface area of 1.29 km and catchment area of 9.6 km . Recently, Bhopal Municipal Corporation came with
4181-537: The MIC gas were first made aware of the leak by exposure to the gas itself, or by opening their doors to investigate commotion, rather than having been instructed to shelter in place or to evacuate before the arrival of the gas in the first place. The initial effects of exposure were coughing, severe eye irritation, a feeling of suffocation, burning in the respiratory tract, blepharospasm , breathlessness, stomach pains, and vomiting. People alerted by these symptoms fled from
4294-496: The UCIL plant itself and a second directed to the exterior which would alert the general public and the city of Bhopal. The two siren systems had been decoupled from one another in 1982, so that it was possible to leave the factory warning siren on while the public one remained inactive. This is what had occurred; the public siren briefly sounded at 12:50 a.m. and was quickly turned off, as per company procedure meant to avoid alarming
4407-465: The UCIL site in 1979. The chemical process employed in the Bhopal plant had methylamine reacting with phosgene to form MIC, which was in turn reacted with 1-naphthol to form the final product, carbaryl. Another manufacturer, Bayer , also used this MIC-intermediate process at the chemical plant once owned by UCC at Institute, West Virginia in the United States. After the Bhopal plant
4520-521: The US courts focused on UCIL being a standalone entity of India. Civil and criminal cases were also filed in the District Court of Bhopal, India, involving UCC, UCIL, and Anderson. In June 2010, seven Indian nationals who were UCIL employees in 1984, including the former UCIL chairman Keshub Mahindra , were convicted in Bhopal of causing death by negligence and sentenced to two years' imprisonment and
4633-605: The Union of India on 30 April 1949. The Bhopal state was taken over by the Union Government of India on 1 June 1949. In early December 1984, a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal leaked around 32 tons of toxic gases, including methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas which led to the worst industrial disaster in the world to date . The official death toll was initially recorded as around 4,000. A Madhya Pradesh government report stated 3,787 deaths, while other estimates state
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4746-523: The United States federal court system. On 17 April 1985, Federal District court judge John F. Keenan (overseeing one lawsuit) suggested that "'fundamental human decency' required Union Carbide to provide between $ 5 million and $ 10 million to immediately help the injured" and suggested the money could be quickly distributed through the International Red Cross. UCC, on the notion that doing so did not constitute an admission of liability and
4859-612: The United States. The United States declined to extradite him citing a lack of evidence. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of the decision of the lower federal courts in October 1993 against allowing victims of the Bhopal disaster to seek damages in a U.S. court. In 2004, the Indian Supreme Court ordered the Indian government to release any remaining settlement funds to victims. And in September 2006,
4972-934: The Upper Lake, two other theatres and a tribal museum. The Bharat Bhavan as well as the MP Legislative Assembly were designed by Charles Correa. Nominal GDP of Bhopal District was ₹44,175 crores for the year 2020–21 with a per-capita GDP of ₹1,40,729 as per the Directorate of Economics and Statistics (Madhya Pradesh). Bhopal's economy is primarily industrial and includes the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, automobiles, textiles, jewellery, and electronics. Other industries include cotton and flour milling, cloth weaving and painting, as well as making matches, sealing wax, and sporting equipment. The residents of Bhopal also engage in large retail businesses. Handicrafts, like zardozi and batua (a small string purse, usually used with Indian traditional dresses) are some of
5085-612: The Welfare Commission for Bhopal Gas Victims announced that all original compensation claims and revised petitions had been "cleared". In 2006, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City upheld the dismissal of remaining claims in the case of Bano v. Union Carbide Corporation . This move blocked plaintiffs' motions for class certification and claims for property damages and remediation. In
5198-551: The central discom of the state. It is regulated by the state electricity board, the Madhya Pradesh State Electricity Board (MPSEB), which is located in Bhopal. Fire services are provided by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation. Bhopal Municipal Corporation is responsible for planning, constructing and maintaining the water supply system within the city. Natural sources of water are surface water (upper lake, kolar reservoir, narmada river), with
5311-533: The city Bhojpal , and finally Bhopal. In the early 17th century, Bhopal was a small village in the Gond kingdom . The modern Bhopal city was established by Dost Mohammad Khan (1660–1726) died at the age of 66, a Pashtun soldier in the Mughal army. After the death of the emperor Aurangzeb , Khan started providing mercenary services to local chieftains in the politically unstable Malwa region. In 1709, he took on
5424-507: The city boundary. It is also one of the greenest cities in India. It is the 16th largest city in India and 131st in the world. After the formation of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal was part of the Sehore district. It was bifurcated in 1972 and a new district, Bhopal, was formed. Flourishing around 1707, the city was the capital of the former Bhopal State , a princely state of the British ruled by
5537-462: The city's abundance of lakes. Therefore, Bhopal's etymology suggests it may mean 'City of Raja Bhoja' or 'City of Lakes,' owing to its historical association with the king and its numerous water bodies. According to folklore, Bhopal was founded in the 11th century by the Paramara king Bhoja , who ruled from his capital at Dhar . This theory states that Bhopal was originally known as Bhojpal after
5650-496: The city. Other Software and IT companies established in the city include Sutherland Global Services, ISoft InfoTech, Soluzione IT Services, Netlink Software Pvt Ltd., Caresoft Inc India, Osmo IT Solution Pvt Ltd., and many more. Manjul Publishing House , located in the old city, is a major publishing house made famous by the translation of the Harry Potter series of novels into Hindi . The Raja Bhoj International Airport
5763-542: The civic body has failed in the same. Bhopal has 8 transfer stations, where the garbage collected zone wise is dumped, and without any segregation, the waste is transferred to the Adampur Chhawni landfill site . In 2018, after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the BMC to clean dump at Bhanpur , which activists claim is 80 feet high and has polluted ground water up to 500 metres below,
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#17327941537355876-573: The combined armies of Mughal - Nizam - Nawab were decisively defeated in Battle of Bhopal (1737) by the great Peshwa Bajirao I . Bhopal became a princely state after signing a treaty (During the reign of Nazar Mohammed Khan 1816–1819) with the British East India Company in 1818. Between 1819 and 1926, the state was ruled by four women, Begums – unique in the royalty of those days – under British suzerainty. Qudsia Begum
5989-414: The day of Vijayadashami (or Dussehra ), huge effigies of Ravan are burnt in different parts of the city. Apart from jhankis, annual Durga puja is conducted in a huge way where large idols of mother goddess and pandals are installed and bhog is served. Several cultural programmes and other pujas like Kalipuja, Saraswati puja etc re also conducted. Eid is also a major festival in Bhopal. Bhopal Ijtema
6102-640: The demand for pesticides had fallen, production continued leading to an accumulation of unused MIC at the Bhopal site. In 1976, two local trade unions complained of pollution within the plant. In 1981, a worker was accidentally splashed with phosgene as he was carrying out a maintenance job of the plant's pipes. In a panic, he removed his gas mask and inhaled a large amount of toxic phosgene gas, leading to his death 72 hours later. Following these events, journalist Rajkumar Keswani began investigating and published his findings in Bhopal's local paper Rapat, in which he urged "Wake up, people of Bhopal, you are on
6215-510: The different reports support each other. Studied and reported long-term health effects are: Missing or insufficient fields for research are female reproduction, chromosomal aberrations, cancer, immune deficiency, neurological sequelae, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and children born after the disaster. Late cases that might never be highlighted are respiratory insufficiency, cardiac insufficiency (cor pulmonale), cancer and tuberculosis. Bhopal now has high rates of birth defects and records
6328-461: The disaster as an ecocide . The soil and ground water near the factory site have been contaminated by the toxic wastes. The Bhopal disaster continues to be the part of the socio-political debate; the clean-up of environmental contamination and rehabilitation of those affected continues to challenge the people of Bhopal. The centre is seeking a direction to Union Carbide and other firms for ₹ 78.44 billion additional amount over and above
6441-617: The division. The division has five districts, of which Bhopal is one. Bhopal district administration is headed by the District Magistrate of Bhopal, who is the chief executive officer for the district. The city is represented in the parliament by Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency , with Alok Sharma from the BJP elected in the 2024 Indian General Election . Bhopal also houses the State Legislative Assembly, or
6554-464: The earlier settlement amount of US$ 470 million in 1989 for paying compensation to the gas tragedy victims. The site of the industrial accident is rusting since the day of the disaster and has not been cleared off completely either by DOW Chemicals or government authorities, the site is still storing large quantities of lethal chemicals in underground tanks and overground storages. Bhopal has an average elevation of 500 metres (1401 ft) and
6667-436: The edge of a volcano." In January 1982, a phosgene leak exposed 24 workers, all of whom were admitted to a hospital. None of the workers had been ordered to wear protective equipment . One month later in February 1982, an MIC leak affected 18 workers. In August 1982, a chemical engineer came into contact with liquid MIC, resulting in burns over 30% of his body. In October 1982, there was another MIC leak. In attempting to stop
6780-433: The emergency relief valve burst open, and pressure in the tank continued to increase to 380 kilopascals (55 psi), despite atmospheric venting of toxic MIC gas having begun. Direct atmospheric venting should have been prevented or at least partially mitigated by at least three safety devices which were malfunctioning, not in use, insufficiently sized, or otherwise rendered inoperable: About 30 tonnes of MIC escaped from
6893-578: The expense of the victims." Legal proceedings involving UCC, the United States and Indian governments, local Bhopal authorities, and the disaster victims started immediately after the catastrophe. The Indian Government passed the Bhopal Gas Leak Act in March 1985, allowing the Government of India to act as the legal representative for victims of the disaster, leading to the beginning of legal proceedings. Initial lawsuits were generated in
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#17327941537357006-565: The factory, UCIL, was majority-owned by the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) of the United States, with Indian government-controlled banks and the Indian public holding a 49.1 percent stake . In 1989, UCC paid $ 470 million (equivalent to $ 1.01 billion in 2023) to settle litigation stemming from the disaster. In 1994, UCC sold its stake in UCIL to Eveready Industries India Limited (EIIL), which subsequently merged with McLeod Russel (India) Ltd . Eveready ended clean-up on
7119-549: The fatalities were significantly higher (15,000) from the accident and the medical complications caused by the accident in the weeks and years that followed. The higher estimates have been challenged by Union Carbide, however, medical staff in the city were not able to adequately record data due to the massive influx of patients. The impact of the disaster continues to this day in terms of psychological and neurological disabilities, blindness, skin, vision, breathing, and birth disorders. Lawyers, academics and journalists have described
7232-415: The figure could be credited toward any future settlement or judgement, offered a $ 5 million relief fund two days later. The Indian government turned down the offer. In March 1986, UCC proposed a settlement figure, endorsed by plaintiffs' U.S. attorneys, of $ 350 million that would, according to the company, "generate a fund for Bhopal victims of between $ 500–600 million over 20 years". In May, litigation
7345-606: The first twenty Indian cities (the first phase) to be developed as a smart city the Smart Cities Mission . Bhopal was also rated as the cleanest state capital city in India for three consecutive years, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Bhopal has also been awarded a 5-star Garbage Free City (GFC) rating, making it the cleanest State capital in the country in 2023. Bhopal is named after the legendary ancient king Raja Bhoja , with 'Bho' possibly originating from his name. Additionally, 'Pal' signifies 'dam' or 'reservoir,' reflecting
7458-443: The first weeks, and another 8,000 since then". The government of Madhya Pradesh confirmed a total of 3,787 deaths related to the gas release. Later, the affected area was expanded to include 700,000 citizens. A government affidavit in 2006 stated the leak caused 558,125 injuries including 38,478 temporary partial injuries and approximately 3,900 severely and permanently disabling injuries. A cohort of 80,021 exposed people
7571-474: The gases was at least 200,000. Within weeks, the State Government established a number of hospitals, clinics, and mobile units in the gas-affected area to treat the victims. S. Ravi Rajan (Prof. Environmental Studies, U.C. Santa Cruz ) outlines the financially driven undertones of the company's actions. UCC had participated in decades of previous instances of "environmental negligence in every part of
7684-493: The health effects are still not available. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) was forbidden to publish health effect data until 1994. A total of 36 wards were marked by the authorities as being "gas affected", affecting a population of 520,000. Of these, 200,000 were below 15 years of age, and 3,000 were pregnant women. The official immediate death toll was 2,259, and in 1991, 3,928 deaths had been officially certified. The Sambhavna clinic "estimates 8,000 deaths during
7797-399: The hospital-based services for gas victims; thus, hospitals had been built after the disaster. When UCC wanted to sell its shares in UCIL, it was directed by the Supreme Court to finance a 500-bed hospital for the medical care of the survivors. Thus, Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (BMHRC) was inaugurated in 1998 and was obliged to give free care for survivors for eight years. BMHRC
7910-404: The leak, the MIC supervisor suffered severe chemical burns and two other workers were severely exposed to the gases. During 1983 and 1984, there were leaks of MIC, chlorine , monomethylamine , phosgene, and carbon tetrachloride , sometimes in combination. The Bhopal UCIL facility housed three underground 68,000 litre (18,000 US gal) liquid MIC storage tanks: E610, E611, and E619. In
8023-661: The lease of Berasia estate and later annexed several territories in the region to establish the Bhopal State . Khan received the territory of Bhopal from the Gond queen Kamlapati in lieu of payment for mercenary services and usurped her kingdom after her death. In the 1720s, he built the Fatehgarh fort in the village, which developed into the city of Bhopal over the next few decades. The area of Malwa which also included Bhopal and nearby regions came under Maratha control after
8136-532: The local Bhopal authorities charged Anderson, who had retired in 1986, with manslaughter, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. He was declared a fugitive from justice by the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal on 1 February 1992 for failing to appear at the court hearings in a culpable homicide case in which he was named the chief defendant. Orders were passed to the Government of India to press for an extradition from
8249-476: The lungs but also cerebral oedema , tubular necrosis of the kidneys, fatty degeneration of the liver , and necrotising enteritis . The individuals who did not die suffered from cancer, blindness, loss of livelihood, and financial strain. Apart from MIC, based on laboratory simulation conditions, the gas cloud most likely also contained chloroform , dichloromethane , hydrogen chloride , methylamine, dimethylamine , trimethylamine , and carbon dioxide that
8362-408: The months leading up to the December leak, liquid MIC production was in progress and being used to fill these tanks. UCC safety regulations specified that no one tank should be filled more than 50% (about 30 tons) with liquid MIC. Each tank was pressurized with inert nitrogen gas . This pressurization allowed liquid MIC to be pumped out of each tank as needed and also kept impurities and moisture out of
8475-706: The municipal limit reached 71.23 square km. Bhopal Municipal Council got the status of Municipal Corporation, with total of 56 wards in 1983. Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) is the urban civic body which oversees the needs of Bhopal city. The municipal corporation follows guidelines under the Madhya Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1956, as well as the Madhya Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1961. In 2015, Kolar Municipal Corporation merged with it, after having been split from it earlier. In 2019, it
8588-408: The national average of 3.3. Diwali is a major festival in Bhopal. Gifts and sweets are exchanged and donation are made to the poor. Diwali is celebrated by worshiping the wealth goddess Lakshmi . During Ganesh puja and Durga Puja (Navratras), idols of Ganesh and Durga are established in jhankis throughout the city. People throng to offer prayers to their deities. At the end of Navratras, on
8701-450: The original decision. The Court ordered the Indian government "to purchase, out of settlement fund, a group medical insurance policy to cover 100,000 persons who may later develop symptoms" and cover any shortfall in the settlement fund. It also requested UCC and its subsidiary UCIL "voluntarily" fund a hospital in Bhopal, at an estimated $ 17 million , to specifically treat victims of the Bhopal disaster. The company agreed to this. In 1991,
8814-772: The pesticide HCH . In order to provide safe drinking water to the population around the UCIL factory, the government of Madhya Pradesh proposed a water-supply improvement scheme. In December 2008, the Madhya Pradesh High Court decided that the toxic waste should be incinerated at Ankleshwar in Gujarat, which was met by protests from activists all over India. On 8 June 2012, the centre for incineration of toxic Bhopal waste agreed to pay ₹ 250 million (US$ 3.0 million) to dispose of UCIL chemical plants' waste in Germany. On 9 August 2012, Supreme court directed
8927-399: The plant's MIC related safety systems were malfunctioning and many valves and lines were in poor condition. In addition, several vent gas scrubbers had been out of service, as well as the steam boiler intended to clean the pipes. During the late evening hours of 2 December 1984, water was believed to have entered tank E610 via a side pipe during attempts to unclog it. The tank still contained
9040-412: The plant's public siren was sounded for an extended period of time after having been quickly silenced an hour and a half earlier. Some minutes after the public siren sounded, a UCIL employee walked to a police control room to both inform them of the leak (their first acknowledgement that one had ever occurred in the first place), and that "the leak had been plugged." Most city residents who were exposed to
9153-511: The plant. Those who ran inhaled more than those in vehicles. Owing to their height, children and other residents of shorter stature inhaled higher concentrations, as methyl isocyanate gas is approximately twice as dense as air and in an open environment has a tendency to fall toward the ground. Thousands of people had died by the following morning. Primary causes of deaths were choking, reflexogenic circulatory collapse , and pulmonary oedema . Findings during autopsies revealed changes not only in
9266-552: The presence of hydrogen cyanide . In the immediate aftermath, the plant was closed to outsiders (including UCC) by the Indian government , which subsequently failed to make data public, contributing to the confusion. The initial investigation was conducted entirely by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Central Bureau of Investigation . The UCC chairman and CEO Warren Anderson , together with
9379-774: The products of the Old City. Bhopal is also home to the DB Corp , informally called the Bhaskar Group (named after its major publication Dainik Bhaskar ), a ₹17 billion business conglomerate with a strong presence in media. Its head office is located in Maharana Pratap Nagar. While an IT Park, near Bhopal Airport, houses various software development companies and the city is expected to further enlarge its IT presence in near future with giants like WIPRO intending to establish software development centre in
9492-449: The public around the factory over inconsequential leaks. Workers, meanwhile, evacuated the UCIL plant, travelling upwind. Bhopal's superintendent of police was informed via telephone by a town inspector that residents of the neighbourhood of Chola (about 2 km from the plant) were fleeing a gas leak at approximately 1 a.m. Calls to the UCIL plant by police between 1:25 and 2:10 a.m. elicited assurances twice that "everything
9605-453: The purpose of administration, and each ward is represented by a councillor elected for a term of five years. The winning party elects a council of members, who are responsible for various departments. Ward committees as well as Mohalla committees have been prescribed by the corporation act. In October 2016, the Pioneer reported the meeting of one ward committee in the city. Madhya Pradesh
9718-432: The reading was instrumentation malfunction. By 11:30 p.m., workers in the MIC area were feeling the effects of minor exposure to MIC gas and began to look for a leak. One was found by 11:45 p.m. and reported to the MIC supervisor on duty at the time. The decision was made to address the problem after a 12:15 a.m. tea break, and in the meantime, employees were instructed to continue looking for leaks. The problem
9831-540: The reservation of wards has been decided. The present mayor of the city is Malti Rai. In 2019, the state government changed the rules that had applied since 1988, allowing the mayor to be indirectly elected, by elected councillors. V.S.Choudhary Kolsani is the municipal commissioner of the city. Additional municipal commissioner is Shashwant Singh Meena. The municipality receives income from tax collection, assigned revenue, rental income, fees and user charges, revenue grants, income from investment funds. The budget for
9944-481: The severely affected areas, nearly 70% of doctors were underqualified. Medical staff were unprepared for the thousands of casualties. Doctors and hospitals were not aware of proper treatment methods for MIC gas inhalation. There were mass funerals and cremations . Photographer Pablo Bartholemew , on commission with press agency Rapho , took an iconic colour photograph of a burial on 4 December, Bhopal gas disaster girl. Another photographer present, Raghu Rai , took
10057-425: The shutdown of the plant's flare tower so that a corroded pipe could be repaired. With the flare tower still rendered useless, production of carbaryl was resumed in late November using MIC stored in the two tanks still in service. An attempt to re-establish pressure in tank E610 on 1 December failed, so the 42 tons of liquid MIC contained within still could not be pumped out of it. By early December 1984, most of
10170-467: The site in 1998, when it terminated its 99-year lease and turned over control of the site to the state government of Madhya Pradesh. Dow Chemical Company purchased UCC in 2001, seventeen years after the disaster. Civil and criminal cases filed in the United States against UCC and Warren Anderson , chief executive officer of the UCC at the time of the disaster, were dismissed and redirected to Indian courts on multiple occasions between 1986 and 2012, as
10283-555: The station daily. Another station within Bhopal's urban limits is Habibganj railway station (Rani Kamalapati railway station) on the Delhi–Chennai line . It is India's first private railway station and also is promoted as first world-class railway station of India. A total of 108 trains halt/originate/terminate at the station daily. Other stations within urban limits are Sant Hirdaram Nagar railway station , Misrod railway station and Nishatpura railway station . Bhopal disaster The Bhopal disaster or Bhopal gas tragedy
10396-409: The tank into the atmosphere in 45 to 60 minutes. This would increase to 40 tonnes within two hours. The gases were blown in a southeast direction over Bhopal. A UCIL employee triggered the plant's alarm system at 12:50 a.m. as the concentration of gas in and around the plant became difficult to tolerate. Activation of the system triggered two siren alarms: one that specifically sounded inside
10509-424: The tanks. In late October 1984, tank E610 lost the ability to effectively contain most of its nitrogen gas pressure, which meant that the liquid MIC contained within could not be pumped out. At the time of this failure, tank E610 contained 42 tons of liquid MIC. Shortly after this failure, MIC production was halted at the Bhopal facility, and parts of the plant were shut down for maintenance. Maintenance included
10622-404: The trenching ground was shifted to Adampur. In 2019, it was announced that India's first e-waste clinic was being set up in Bhopal. BMC along with Central Pollution Control Board came together to establish this clinic which will enable segregation, processing and disposal of waste, both residential and commercial. In January 2020, the clinic was inaugurated for operations. It started initially as
10735-421: The verdict. A US federal class action litigation, Sahu v. Union Carbide and Warren Anderson , was filed in 1999 under the U.S. Alien Torts Claims Act (ATCA), which provides for civil remedies for "crimes against humanity". It sought damages for personal injury, medical monitoring and injunctive relief in the form of clean-up of the drinking water supplies for residential areas near the Bhopal plant. The lawsuit
10848-530: The vicinity of the UCIL factory had to be abandoned and tests in 1989 performed by UCC's laboratory revealed that soil and water samples collected near the factory and inside the plant were toxic to fish. Several other studies had also shown polluted soil and groundwater in the area. Reported polluting compounds include 1-naphthol , naphthalene , Sevin , tarry residue , mercury , toxic organochlorines , volatile organochlorine compounds, chromium , copper, nickel, lead, hexachloroethane , hexachlorobutadiene , and
10961-891: The view of UCC, "the ruling reaffirms UCC's long-held positions and finally puts to rest—both procedurally and substantively—the issues raised in the class action complaint first filed against Union Carbide in 1999 by Haseena Bi and several organisations representing the residents of Bhopal". In June 2010, seven former employees of UCIL, all Indian nationals and many in their 70s, were convicted of causing death by negligence : Keshub Mahindra, former non-executive chairman of Union Carbide India Limited; V. P. Gokhale, managing director; Kishore Kamdar, vice-president; J. Mukund, works manager; S. P. Chowdhury, production manager; K. V. Shetty, plant superintendent; and S. I. Qureshi, production assistant. They were each sentenced to two years' imprisonment and fined ₹ 100,000 (equivalent to ₹ 220,000 or US$ 2,700 in 2023). All were released on bail shortly after
11074-412: The world", directing its "responsibility… to its shareholders", and numerous dealings with local and international political and economic powers. The company's response to the Bhopal accident was what Rajan describes as a "campaign of erasure", meaning the transfer of liability and responsibility of the cause of the gas leak, the event itself, and the aftermath. Rajan then argues that this type of response
11187-691: The year 2020–21 has been approved as ₹2,495 crore. Bhopal Development Authority is the apex body for planning and co-ordination of development activities in the Mandhya Pradesh, which consists of Bhopal and its influence area, and was set up in 1976 under the Bhopal Development Authority Act, 1974. Electricity in Bhopal is distributed by the Madhya Pradesh Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Company Limited,
11300-433: Was 0.6 °C. Total annual rainfall is about 1101 mm (43.35 inches). Bhopal has been ranked 6th best "National Clean Air City" (under Category 1 >10L Population cities) in India according to 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 Results'. According to the 2011 census, the population of the Bhopal city (the area under Bhopal Municipal Corporation) is 1,798,218, with 936,168 males and 862,050 females. The population of
11413-417: Was Begum until 1901. In 1901, Shah Jehan's daughter Kaikhusrau Jahan became Begum, ruled until 1926, and was the last of the female line of succession. In 1926, she abdicated in favour of her son, Hamidullah Khan , who ruled until 1947, and was the last of the sovereign Nawabs . The rule of Begums gave the city its waterworks, railways, a postal system, and a municipality constituted in 1907. Bhopal State
11526-529: Was a chemical accident on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal , Madhya Pradesh, India. In what is considered the world's worst industrial disaster , over 500,000 people in the small towns around the plant were exposed to the highly toxic gas methyl isocyanate ( MIC ). Estimates vary on the death toll, with the official number of immediate deaths being 2,259. In 2008,
11639-400: Was a 350-bedded super speciality hospital where heart surgery and hemodialysis were done. There was a dearth of gynaecology, obstetrics and paediatrics. Eight mini-units (outreach health centres) were started and free health care for gas victims was to be offered until 2006. The management had also faced problems with strikes, and the quality of the health care being disputed. Sambhavna Trust
11752-417: Was announced that the corporation would be split again and a proposal was put forth to the urban administration and housing department, which was criticised by the mayor-in-council. It also proposed for indirect election of the mayor. The municipal corporation is spread over an area of 463 km (179 sq mi) and has a population of 17,95,648. The city is divided into 14 zones and 85 wards for
11865-479: Was built, other manufacturers (including Bayer) produced carbaryl without MIC, though at a greater manufacturing cost . UCIL's process differed from the MIC-free routes used elsewhere, in which the same raw materials were combined in a different manufacturing order, with phosgene initially reacting with naphthol to form a chloroformate ester , which was later reacted with methylamine. In the early 1980s, although
11978-431: Was discussed by MIC area employees during the break. When the tea break concluded at 12:40 a.m., the reaction in tank E610 escalated to a critical state at an alarming speed within five minutes. Temperatures in the tank were off the scale, maxed out beyond 25 °C (77 °F), and the pressure in the tank was indicated at 280 kilopascals (40 psi). One employee witnessed a concrete slab above tank E610 crack as
12091-404: Was dismissed in 2012 and the subsequent appeal was denied. Warren Anderson, then 92 years old, died on 29 September 2014. On 14 March 2023 Indian Supreme Court dismissed curative petition for enhanced compensation. In 2018, The Atlantic called it the "world's worst industrial disaster". Lawyers, academics and journalists have described the disaster as an ecocide . Some data about
12204-412: Was either present in the tank or was produced in the storage tank when MIC, chloroform, and water reacted. The gas cloud, composed mainly of materials denser than air, stayed close to the ground and spread in a southeast direction affecting the nearby communities. The chemical reactions may have produced a liquid or solid aerosol . Laboratory investigations by CSIR and UCC scientists failed to demonstrate
12317-405: Was prohibited, causing further supply shortages. Lacking any safe alternative, on 16 December, tanks 611 and 619 were emptied of the remaining MIC by reactivating the plant and continuing the manufacture of pesticide. Despite safety precautions such as having water-carrying helicopters continually overflying the plant, this led to a second mass evacuation from Bhopal. The Government of India passed
12430-490: Was registered, along with a control group, a cohort of 15,931 people from areas not exposed to MIC. Nearly every year since 1986, they have answered the same questionnaire. It shows excess mortality and morbidity in the exposed group. Bias and confounding factors cannot be excluded from the study. Because of migration and other factors, 75% of the cohort is lost, as the ones who move out are not followed. A number of clinical studies are performed. The quality varies, but
12543-400: Was the first woman ruler (between 1819 and 1837), who was succeeded by her granddaughter, Shah Jehan . Between the years 1844–1860, when Shah Jehan was a child, her mother Sikandar (only daughter of Qudsia) ruled as regent. Curiously during the 1857 revolt , Sikandar supported the British, for which she was rewarded by proclaiming her as king in 1858. To give her further honour, she was given
12656-486: Was the second-largest Muslim-ruled princely state: the first being Hyderabad . After the independence of India in 1947, the last Nawab expressed his wish to retain Bhopal as a separate unit. Agitations against the Nawab broke out in December 1948, leading to the arrest of prominent leaders including Shankar Dayal Sharma . Later, the political detainees were released, and the Nawab signed the agreement for Bhopal's merger with
12769-485: Was transferred from the United States to Indian courts by a U.S. District Court ruling. Following an appeal of this decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed the transfer in November 1986, judging that UCIL was a "separate entity, owned, managed and operated exclusively by Indian citizens in India". The Government of India refused the offer from Union Carbide, and claimed US$ 3.3 billion . The Indian Supreme Court told both sides to come to an agreement and "start with
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