Unless you know, how can you handle

  In the intervening night between 2 and 3 December 1984 a historical industrial disaster was taken place at Bhopal of Madhya Pradesh. Since then after every anniversary we have been commemorating the day as the 'Bhopal day'. People of Bhopal used to make demonstrations while industries across India have been observing the day for venting out their feelings. Legal battle is still continuing even after a lapse of 29 years.
   On this during dead of night a chemical named Phosgene in liquid form leaked out from a mild steel tank. That chemical when got contact with carelessly left floor washing water left on the work floor got converted into methyl isocyanate(MIC) gas. That gas gradually became air-borne and started picking the wind direction. Since the gas was little heavier than air, being air-borne defused across the locality up to few kilometers distance. Persons who were asleep in that zone were seriously affected or died. Those who were travelling on road got severe eye irritation. In that incident, almost 3000 civilians died and several thousands were affected to various degrees. Steel today many people are suffering its after effects.
   All chemicals have specific properties and needs specific storage and handling techniques. With rapid technological development, thousands of new research and developed chemicals are surfacing every now and then, while most of its users are procuring and using those without knowing its physical, chemical, lethal characteristics and its antidotes, but with their technical names. Freon is one of the widely used refrigerants used in house hold refrigerators. Very few people know that if after its leak from their instrument comes in contact with electric spark, it would produce Phosgene. Unless you know, how can you handle? Hence 'Bhopal Day' is rather was an 'Ignorance day'.
   Phosgene is incompatible with water. If the workers would have been made aware of that, the sweeper or the floor supervisor would not have left water on that floor. It is common sense that, if polluted air is blowing in one direction people should take the other way. Since MIC is water soluble persons could have drenched their cloth and covering their face with a wet cloth they could have safely gone to a safer place. As per law the user has to disclose such information to the administration and to the local public. But as per common sense everybody should know these basic safety tips. Nobody did their duty with due diligence and reaped the dreaded consequence.
  At the aftermath, passing buck on others is hypocrisy. People generally take the easier path to learn by experience. The post disastrous scenario could have been minimal, had proper emergency measure taken by all concerned. No businessman will venture for any culpable homicide unless he has any criminal intent. It is not wise to call the factory owner a killer. Fault was lying with everybody. The burning example is the recent management of Phaillin scenario by the state and the general public who were educated by experience from the Super cyclone during 1999.Let us at least be educated by experience to become a Conesus citizen without accusing others.