Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Effects of Bhopal gas tragedy 26 years later: Children of victims have a variety of disabilities

From the Press Trust of India:

Twenty-six years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, children of the victims continue to suffer from problems like mental retardation, cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities.

Seven-year-old Khushi was born with multiple disabilities and can't walk without help, one of the problems affecting the second Bhopal gas tragedy: Govt moves SC for additional compensation generation of the people hit by the gas tragedy.

Her mother Tulika Verma daily brings her to an NGO -Chingari Trust Rehabilitation Centre here.

"Khushi's memory is very sharp and she is very good at computers," the Rehabilitation Centre Special Educator Tariq Ahmed said on the 26th anniversary of the world's worst industrial disaster - Bhopal Gas Tragedy - which killed more than 15,000 people and maimed lakh of people.

Her father Sanjay Verma is a gas tragedy victim and had received compensation, Ahmed said.

Devesh Kumar (10), son of Mathura Prasad Raikwar, a resident of Ram Nagar is mentally retarded and also visits the Centre daily. Raikwar is one of the victims of the tragedy. Devash learns poems but forgets them after a while, Ahmed said.

"Devesh, who wants to become an athlete, has won several medals in race competition," Ahmed added.