What a book!!I should say that this is one of the best book written about a calamity or industrial disaster.Lapierre is a master investigator, he brings his vast experience in this book.They the authors started this book with the poor peasant family from Orissa and their struggle with their land and agriculture.Through this family the authors narrated the various incidents happened before and after the disaster.
This book reveals the history of pesticide in a very peculiar point relevant to this disaster.The Union Carbide's effort to bring sevin and other pesticides to prevent the attacks of Aphids and other insects which were causing so much trouble that many families all over the world suffered because of crop failure.Credit has to be give to UC for their invention which really helped so many families.But the problem was the danger of mass production of these pesticides.To capture the pesticide market in India ,Union Carbide decided to open a production plant in Bhopal,Madhya Pradesh, somehow they got the government approval(as its case still today,see to start any business),as Union Carbide started to construct the production plant,the exodus of people from different parts of orissa to Bhopal continued.
Orya Bustee was the place where the poor family from Orissa started their new life, this family's sole breadwinner was Ratna nadar and six others were dependent on him.(his wife,his daughter ,two sons and his parents).This Orya bustee was full of life with all kinds of people doing variety of jobs.Even though they were poor they shared their everything(only poor people can do that!!).The nadar family easily adopted to this place.They do whatever job the can to supplement the family.
Kids steals the coal fell down from the passing trains and get little money.
Union Carbide with the help of some locals able to construct the plant as they planned.The safety guide was prepared and sent to India to be given to all the employees.UC trained some of the finest Indian engineers for their new plant in Bhopal, these engineers were well educated and had been trained to handle deadly chemicals which the plant was going to produce.UC's management believed that their safety measures were best in the world, of course everyone thought the same since UC had a high reputation in the industry.
The plant was constructed near the bustees specially near Orya bustee.If the air blows in that direction ,it will carry the chemicals to these bustees.The engineers and the Union Carbide management knew this and the impact also but they firmly believed that their safety was best and never fails.The Union Carbide's recruited engineers and workers felt they were in seventh heaven,as they believed that getting job in Union Carbide so prestigious.They got nice salary and lot of other perks more than that some of them got nice girl to marry.Many parents were ready to get marry their daughter to a Union Carbide employee with huge dowry.Overall the employees of Union Carbide were in different world.
The authors description of life in Orya bustee is touching , as far i knew only Lapierre can do this, i already read his 'City of Joy'.The way everyday life went during that time was amazing.The Scottish nun Felicity who carried out health checkups in Orya bustee once in every week,Padmini,Ratna nadar's daughters immaculate behavior,Ahmed Bassi , the young tailor who was famous for his embroidering in sarees,Salar the bicycle repairmen,Nilambar , the sorcerer who exorcized evil spirits by sprinkling country liquor,Prema bai,the crippled widow,Ganga Ram,the former leper,Belram Mukkadam,the tea shop owner,Dilip ,Gopal and many more ..
The authors touched the history of Bhopal also,the description of Begams and their bravery, the colorful festivities and the poetry recital.I really wondered how come i don't know the history of most of the Indian states, i think we have to change our eductional system or government can take animated movies or children books to tell the these legendary stories.
On the night of second to the third December 1984 a massive leak of toxic gas (MIC) killed between 16,000 and 30,000 people and injured more than 500,000.The workers at that night first thought that small was normal nothing suspicious even though one of them warned, the tank which holed up MIC leaked , as Union Carbide suspended their alarm /warning system due to non-production.The Union Carbide did not get the profit as they expected so they stopped producing sevin.The wind blew towards bustees , first all the cows died then everything.I can't imagine that situation,pathetic as inhaling MIC caused sever irritation in eyes ,people ran here and there for water and medicine.The cloud with MIC caused unspeakable horror and immeasurable damage to Bhopal and its inhabitants.
Even today those who suffered or lost their dear ones waiting for the compensation and government action.Padmini and her newly wed husband survived but many of the Orya bustee inhabitants died .But the life goes on. The resilience of these people are amazing.
After finishing this book i felt strange that i was not informed or taught about this before.I decided to go to Bhopal once and visit all the places.It was one of the most remarkable investigation.Read this book.You will cherish the triumph of human spirit.
Check out this site for more info:
To view Union Carbide's statement
About the author
This book reveals the history of pesticide in a very peculiar point relevant to this disaster.The Union Carbide's effort to bring sevin and other pesticides to prevent the attacks of Aphids and other insects which were causing so much trouble that many families all over the world suffered because of crop failure.Credit has to be give to UC for their invention which really helped so many families.But the problem was the danger of mass production of these pesticides.To capture the pesticide market in India ,Union Carbide decided to open a production plant in Bhopal,Madhya Pradesh, somehow they got the government approval(as its case still today,see to start any business),as Union Carbide started to construct the production plant,the exodus of people from different parts of orissa to Bhopal continued.
Orya Bustee was the place where the poor family from Orissa started their new life, this family's sole breadwinner was Ratna nadar and six others were dependent on him.(his wife,his daughter ,two sons and his parents).This Orya bustee was full of life with all kinds of people doing variety of jobs.Even though they were poor they shared their everything(only poor people can do that!!).The nadar family easily adopted to this place.They do whatever job the can to supplement the family.
Kids steals the coal fell down from the passing trains and get little money.
Union Carbide with the help of some locals able to construct the plant as they planned.The safety guide was prepared and sent to India to be given to all the employees.UC trained some of the finest Indian engineers for their new plant in Bhopal, these engineers were well educated and had been trained to handle deadly chemicals which the plant was going to produce.UC's management believed that their safety measures were best in the world, of course everyone thought the same since UC had a high reputation in the industry.
The plant was constructed near the bustees specially near Orya bustee.If the air blows in that direction ,it will carry the chemicals to these bustees.The engineers and the Union Carbide management knew this and the impact also but they firmly believed that their safety was best and never fails.The Union Carbide's recruited engineers and workers felt they were in seventh heaven,as they believed that getting job in Union Carbide so prestigious.They got nice salary and lot of other perks more than that some of them got nice girl to marry.Many parents were ready to get marry their daughter to a Union Carbide employee with huge dowry.Overall the employees of Union Carbide were in different world.
The authors description of life in Orya bustee is touching , as far i knew only Lapierre can do this, i already read his 'City of Joy'.The way everyday life went during that time was amazing.The Scottish nun Felicity who carried out health checkups in Orya bustee once in every week,Padmini,Ratna nadar's daughters immaculate behavior,Ahmed Bassi , the young tailor who was famous for his embroidering in sarees,Salar the bicycle repairmen,Nilambar , the sorcerer who exorcized evil spirits by sprinkling country liquor,Prema bai,the crippled widow,Ganga Ram,the former leper,Belram Mukkadam,the tea shop owner,Dilip ,Gopal and many more ..
The authors touched the history of Bhopal also,the description of Begams and their bravery, the colorful festivities and the poetry recital.I really wondered how come i don't know the history of most of the Indian states, i think we have to change our eductional system or government can take animated movies or children books to tell the these legendary stories.
On the night of second to the third December 1984 a massive leak of toxic gas (MIC) killed between 16,000 and 30,000 people and injured more than 500,000.The workers at that night first thought that small was normal nothing suspicious even though one of them warned, the tank which holed up MIC leaked , as Union Carbide suspended their alarm /warning system due to non-production.The Union Carbide did not get the profit as they expected so they stopped producing sevin.The wind blew towards bustees , first all the cows died then everything.I can't imagine that situation,pathetic as inhaling MIC caused sever irritation in eyes ,people ran here and there for water and medicine.The cloud with MIC caused unspeakable horror and immeasurable damage to Bhopal and its inhabitants.
Even today those who suffered or lost their dear ones waiting for the compensation and government action.Padmini and her newly wed husband survived but many of the Orya bustee inhabitants died .But the life goes on. The resilience of these people are amazing.
After finishing this book i felt strange that i was not informed or taught about this before.I decided to go to Bhopal once and visit all the places.It was one of the most remarkable investigation.Read this book.You will cherish the triumph of human spirit.
Check out this site for more info:
To view Union Carbide's statement
About the author
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