Where were laws flouted in Bhopal?
It was a disaster waiting to happen. According to a 2000 Amnesty International report, between the beginning of 1983 and the time of the disaster, a series of cost-cutting measures were implemented. Damaged or malfunctioning equipment was patched up rather than repaired, or replaced by sub-standard material. Documented evidence suggests that by 1983, the methyl isocyanate (MIC) unit only had six operators compared to 13 in 1980, while the number of maintenance personnel was reduced to just two. Further, Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) had by this time decided to dismantle the plant and ship it to Indonesia or Brazil, with a feasibility report completed just three days before the disaster. The company decided to store the ultra-hazardous MIC in Bhopal in bulk, without equipping the plant with corresponding safety measures. Technology used was not proven and entailed operational risks. Standards of safety in design or operations…
