AM I A SAFETY RISK? Since September 29, 2008, my visa application is resting at the Ministry of Home Affairs, that is responsible for safety. The planned trip to Bhopal has to be postponed. I do not know if I will ever get my visa. Is it a crime for foreigners to support human rights in India? Please make comments in my blog!
THE BHOPAL SAGA
Causes and Consequences of
the World's Largest Industrial Disaster
This is the title of the book I published in India on time for the 20th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Leak in 1984. Since I was in Bhopal for the first time, as a member of the International Medical Commission on Bhopal 1994, I have collected all material that I could find. The list of references contains more than 200 items.
The Bhopal Saga contains little new information that has not been published before. But the material is structured, systematized and analysed. It covers the period from the Green Revolution during the 60s until 2003.
The Bhopal Saga covers technical, medical, economic, social, psychological and environmental aspects of the disaster.
I show that the figure for immediate deaths should be more than 8,000 people. The official figure is 4,000. I also show the whole range of diseases and symptoms that has hit the survivors, as well as the insufficient support from the Governments and Union Carbide.
My analysis shows that the causes of the leakage were the design of the plant and the economic pressure. The parties responsible for the magnitude of the disaster are Union Carbide Corporation and the Governments of India and Madhya Pradesh.
The publisher is Universities Press (India) Private Ltd, Hyderabad. The book's royalty goes to Sambhavna Clinic.
Read parts of The Bhopal Saga at books.google.com.
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ORDER "THE BHOPAL SAGA"
In India: Sambhavna Trust Clinic www.bhopal.org/contact.html
or on Flipcart http://www.flipkart.com/search-book?dd=0&query=eckerman
Outside India: Apex Press, USA www.cipa-apex.org/books/bhopal
In Sweden: by the author.
MY ESSAY
"Chemical Industry and Public Health - Bhopal as an example" is the title of my essay in MPH 2001. It is a shorter version of The Bhopal Saga (58 pages, 82 references).
Read the essay here.
ARTICLES
"The Bhopal gas leak: Analyses of causes and consequences by three different models. Journal of Loss Prevention in the process industry 2005:18;213-217.
Read the abstract here.
"The Bhopal disaster 1984 - working conditions and the role of the trade unions" in Asian-Pacific newsletter on occupational health and safety, 2006:13(2);48-49. Read the article here.
THE BHOPAL 20TH ANNIVERSARY LIBRARY
Apex Press sells new and old books about the Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
www.cipa-apex.org/books/bhopal
LECTURES
Lectures with power point presentations, in Swedish or English, can be arranged. The presentation will be adapted according to time (15-75 minutes) and audience (stressing different chapters of The Bhopal Saga). At the lectures, there will be opportunities to purchase "The Bhopal Saga".
POSTERS
Different posters were developed. Some describe certain chapters of The Bhopal Saga. Another poster has an artistic approach rather than a scientific one. It affects the heart rather than the brain, and makes it easier to understand how the victims feel.
SOME PRESENTATIONS AND POSTERS
The Bhopal Saga (short version)
Too late for good epidemiology
Combining "complementary" medicine with western medicine
More presentations are found here
INTERVIEWS
Read an interview from 1999, the 15th anniversary (in Swedish) here
Read an interview from 2004, the 20th anniversary (in Swedish) here
Listen to an interview in Radio UPF 2006 (in Swedish) here.
Contact
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BACKGROUND
During the night Dec 2-3, 1984, large amounts of water e ntered a tank containing 43 tonnes of Methyl isocyanate (MIC) in Union Carbide's plant in Bhopal, India. A strong chemical reaction started and a big cloud of toxic gases spread over the sleeping town. 500,000 people were exposed to the gases. 8,000 died within the first week, and 8,000 since. 100,000 have permanent injuries.
Today, Dow Chemical has taken over Union Carbide Corporation. The survivors fight for their right to full economic compensation and medical care. Together with other residents, they fight for Dow to clean up the polluted area and the ground water.
SAMBHAVNA
The Bhopal People's Health and Documentation Center. Here allopathic (western) medicine as well as Ayurvedic (traditional Indian) medicine and Yoga are offered to the victims. The clinic is financed by private contributions, mainly from the USA and Great Britain. It started on a very small scale but is steadily expanding. The new building was inaugurated in april, 2005.
Read "The Architecture of Healing", an article about the new buildings.
Sambhavna is supported by the Swedish Doctors for the Environment www.lakareformiljon.se.
Economic contributions can be made on www.bhopal.org.
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WEB SITES
www.bhopal.net The official website of the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal. It's the authoritative resource for Bhopal information, and contains the latest updates and events from around the world.
www.bhopal.org The official website of the Sambhavna clinic in Bhopal.
www.studentsforbhopal.org American students are active in the fight for the Bhopal survivors. Lots of information is available here.
Wikipedia about Bhopal disaster Here are a lot of facts about the catastrophe as well as links and recommended literature.
www.bhopal.com The official website of Union Carbide and Dow Chemical.
www.mp.gov.in/bgtrrdmp The official website of Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief & Rehabilitation Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh
Wikipedia about IMCB About the International Medical Commission on Bhopal 1994
Svenska Wikipedia In Swedish
Photoes from 1984
Slide show Greenpeace
Pablo Bartholomew
Youtube
Webreportage
It happened in Bhopal part 1 27.8.2007 Youtube
It happened in Bhopal part 2 27.8.2007 Youtube
Sambhavna Trust Clinic 2007
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Updated March 3, 2010
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