Gas tragedy: Conf on industrial disasters

By Our Staff Reporter
Bhopal, Dec 1: 
In the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the Bhopal gas tragedy, the city-based National Law Institute University in tandem with the New Delhi-based National Institute of Disaster Management will organise a two-day International Conference getting underway on Saturday at NLIU.
''The event will be historic and result in the Bhopal Declaration. Apart from discussion on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), there will be deliberation on the tragedy under the Industrial Disasters section,'' NLIU Director Shiv Shankar Singh told media today.
Experts would review the post-tragedy scenario and what lessons have been learnt from the world's worst industrial disaster. The meet would also discuss legal aspects and existing policies vis-a-vis industrial disasters and how to stop recurrence.
''There are 1,724 Major Accident Hazard (MAH) units across the country besides small and medium enterprises and these units have potential to create havoc. New factories are also being set up at a rapid rate,'' said Conference Convener Prof Surya Prakash.
Chemical accidents have been occurring due to lack of safety measures, technical failure, human error or negligence, flooding, landslides, earthquakes etc, he said while adding that such mishaps posed serious financial losses and trauma.
''The event's objectives are to prevent disasters, examine adequacy of the existing legal system about industrial disasters with emphasis on the gas tragedy, CSR's role in industrial disaster management, discuss the role of environmental jurisprudence in addressing chemical and industrial disasters and human rights issues, bring a cross-section of the government, judiciary, academia and industry to discuss the subjects,'' Prof Prakash explained.
India occupied second spot as far as CSR implementation was concerned, he claimed.
To a query about steps being taken by the government to prevent mishaps in MAH units, he said, ''laws exist but proper implementation is necessary.'' More than 300 delegates, including 35 experts from 16 states and seven countries, are expected to take part.
Prominent speakers are former Supreme Court Chief Justice JS Verma, MN Buch, Upendra Baxi, Marc Galanter, who was retained as an expert by the Centre in litigation related to the gas tragedy and David Lewis who is Editor of an industrial journal in the United Kingdom.