Which social institutions and organisations play a role in industrial accidents like the Bhopal disaster?
Several social institutions and organisations played a role in the Bhopal industrial disaster. Union Carbide Corporation was directly responsible as the plant was under-designed, lacked safety features like a computerised early warning system, and was poorly maintained with reduced staff strength.
Government bodies at both state and central levels failed in their duties. The state Labour Minister and Pollution Control Board ignored warnings and granted clearances despite lapses. The Central government ignored Department of Environment guidelines on siting hazardous plants. The Bhopal Municipal Corporation tried to act but the concerned officer was transferred. The factory's employees union had warned authorities about the situation. Media (local weekly Rapat) also published prophetic articles highlighting the dangers.
Explanation
The question asks students to identify the various institutions that contributed to or tried to prevent the disaster. The textbook context clearly identifies multiple actors: Union Carbide (corporate negligence), government departments (regulatory failure), municipal bodies (overridden), workers' unions (raised alarms), and media (reported warnings). A 3-mark answer should cover these key institutions with specific examples from the text.
Solution Steps
Step 1: Identify the corporate entity (Union Carbide) and its failures
Step 2: List government bodies at state and central level and their lapses
Step 3: Mention other institutions like Municipal Corporation, employees union, and media