After waiting for 26 long years the survivors and relatives of Bhopal gas tragedy are crying foul on the rap on the knuckles punishment given to the perpetrators. Failure of the government to put up a strong case against the company and dilution of the severity of the crime are reasons for the light sentencing.
Successive Indian Governments did not have the courage to seek extradition of Warren Anderson, he apparently escaped with the connivance of the authorities immediately after the accident. Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh constituting some vague cabinet committee to look into the judgment is an eye wash without much seriousness to address the issue.
After claiming damages for USD 3.3 billion, Government of the day agreed for a paltry USD 470 mil final settlement. INR 75k for the deceased and 25k for the injured is all the victims could get as compensation. An accident of such magnitude in the developed world would have made the company payout large sums in compensation to the victims and various other penalties to the Government. BP oil spill is a case in point where the US president himself is monitoring the situation and am sure BP will have to pay a heavy price for the accident and agree for strict operational controls under USEPA.
Weak laws related to Industrial safety and Environment protection allow companies to get away with murder in India. One need not look afar to see the Environmental damage many of these companies are committing on a daily basis in various cities across the country. For e.g. Patancheru and Jeedimetla areas in Hyderabad are the most polluted. Industrial waste is let out into open areas leading to ground water pollution. I am not sure what the AP pollution control board does to monitor and control pollution in these areas but one can definitely see ecological and environmental damage being inflicted in these areas on a daily basis.
I think the subject of Industrial safety and Environment protection fall under two different ministries and both of these ministries are asleep, wake up ministers.
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