By MM Special Correspondent,

New Delhi: Expressing solidarity with the Bhopal Gas disaster victims, Congress MP and former Maharashtra Minister Husain Dalwai urged the government to take urgent steps to decontaminate the site and provide rehabilitation to the victims many of whom have died in the hope of justice.

Raising the issue of gas victims’ continuing plight in the Upper House of Parliament on Thursday, he said the country and successive governments have failed to deliver justice to the poor and helpless victims of the deadliest industrial disaster.

“Today, 3rd December 2015, would mark the 31st Anniversary of the deadliest industrial accident India has ever seen. Even in these 31 years, we as a society have failed to deliver justice to the innocent victims of the gas disaster. Not only did the disaster left many dead and thousands injured, the effect of the disaster can be felt even now with many children born with abnormalities like acute breathlessness, TB, brain damage, loss of immunity etc. due to exposure to toxic chemicals which leaked from the Union Carbide plant”.

Congress leader also raised the issue of compensation describing it as pittance and asking the government to pay them according to the international standards.

“The compensation paid to the victims is no match for what they have continued to suffer over the years”.

Dalwai also accused the successive governments in Madhya Pradesh of not doing enough to decontaminate the area of the worst disaster as people have been still suffering its aftereffects.

“Successive governments in Bhopal have failed to decontaminate the site as we are not aware of how to handle the extremely toxic waste which lays strewn across the now abandoned plant. There are various estimates which say that waste between 1000 to 5000 tonnes is still lying at the vacant plant. The waste blows with the air and seeps into the water supply for the surrounding areas and has become a major health hazard”.

Not only the amount of compensation was insufficient but over the years it was realized that the number of victims was much more than what was originally anticipated, he added.

It’s imperative that the government takes urgent steps to decontaminate the site and provide rehabilitation to the victims many of whom have died in the hope of justice, he demanded.