Are we prepared?
SAVIO J F CORREIA
December 3, 2013 marked the 29th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, a catastrophe that is unparalleled in the world’s industrial history. Thousands perished and over half a million suffered and continue to suffer from its ill effects. Its impact on the environment, particularly the ground water, is felt even today. The tragedy can be seen not merely as a failure of technology, but as a failure of knowledge. The accident might not have happened at all, or its impact could have been greatly lessened, if the right people had obtained the right information at a time when they were capable of understanding it and taking appropriate preventive action. The reconstruction of events in Bhopal showed striking gaps in the dissemination of information about MIC to State authorities and the public at large.
The disaster marked the turning point in the development of environmental law and jurisprudence and spurred adoption of stronger environmental policies besides a slew of judicial and legislative responses. The late ‘90s saw the Supreme Court derive and adopt the “precautionary principle” in its pronouncements in several environmental cases that required government authorities to anticipate, prevent and attack the causes of environmental pollution and placing the onus of proof on the developer or industrialist to show that his action is environmentally benign.
Now, fast forward to 2013 and closer home to Mormugao taluka. Not many are aware that all major accident hazard chemical and petroleum (MAH) units in South Goa District are located within Mormugao, the smallest taluka in Goa in terms of size and the densest in terms of population. But how many of us know the type and quantity of hazardous chemicals, petroleum products and explosives stored and transported through carrier and pipelines in Mormugao and their location? Or about the disaster management/emergency response/evacuation plan put in place by the authorities in case of a major accident? For example, are Sada residents aware that 27 lakh litres of toxic sulphuric acid lies stored in tanks and what they are expected to do in case of an explosion or leak? Mormugao taluka is also home to a highly toxic cocktail of ammonia, chlorine, acetylene, liquid nitrogen, phosphoric acid and sodium hydroxide in large quantities, not to forget naval armaments and explosives.
Although the “Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules” in force since 1990 require every unit to take appropriate steps to inform persons likely to be affected about the nature of the major accident hazard and safety measures to be adopted in the event of an accident, such dissemination of information has never been heard of in Mormugao taluka. Likewise, though the “Chemical Accidents (Emergency Planning, Preparedness and Response) Rules 1996” mandate constitution of local crises groups for every industrial pocket and installation, not a single group has been constituted in Mormugao taluka so far. Are we any better informed and prepared than the hapless Bhopal victims?
