Living in Bhopal: 30+ years the '1984 Gas Disaster'
For most slum-dwellers such as Poonam and her family - trapped in the cycle of poverty - day to day survival can be tedious. Any small improvement is hard-achieved.
In Bhopal, around 100,000 people are chronically ill from the effects of the '1984 Gas Disaster', while tainted drinking water has caused a sharp increase in birth defects and severe disabilities in children. For many years, the toxic waste left behind after the disaster, still buried around the abandoned industrial complex, has been penetrating the aquifers used by thousands of local dwellers. |
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Luckily, in parts of the contaminated area, and very near to Poonam's newly-built home, the local municipality is now providing pipelines and water tanks on a fairly regular basis. This is meant to be 'clean', potable water devoid of any harmful chemicals.
I do hope to see some qualitative tests conducted in the interest of health of those people - like Poonam - who are living in the affected colonies. Nevertheless, the job of providing clean drinking water in Bhopal is far from complete. The simple provision of tanks and taps cannot really be considered a final solution to Bhopal's extensive contamination problem. |
Battling for compensation, The Bhopal Medical Appeal and other groups of 'gas survivors', are offering legal and medical assistance, physiotherapy, counselling, education and care for thousands of gas and water pollution victims and their children.
An on-going lawsuit against DOW Chemical is still pending before the Court of Appeals in New York City, USA. It seeks damages for injury, medical monitoring, and for the clean-up of water and soil. While defending itself in court, DOW Chemical has been recently awarded a ten-year contract as a worldwide Olympic partner until 2020. |
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My name is Alex Masi, and I am an Italian documentary photographer committed to spreading awareness and supporting action towards children's rights and education.
In May 2011, 'The Photographers Giving Back Awards' assigned me a 5000 US$ grant to create and implement a specifically designed plan, benefiting one of my subjects, Poonam - and her family, after noticing one of my images of the young girl, then 6, revelling in the rain in Bhopal, near the abandoned Union Carbide complex.
Since then, I witnessed the passion that is moving Poonam and her family along, and how a single possibility for change has been able to spark in them such a vibrant enthusiasm for life.