Parliament remembers Bhopal gas tragedy

Both Houses of the Parliament on Thursday expressed solidarity with the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy that has killed and maimed thousands of people in the last 25 years.

"It was on this day, 25 years ago, that the country witnessed one of the most harrowing man-made tragedies in which thousands of people lost their lives and many were blinded or otherwise physically disabled," Speaker Meira Kumar said in the Lok Sabha.

"The survivors of the gas tragedy are still suffering from the ill-effects of the gas leaked from the Union Carbide Plant at Bhopal," she said, adding, "Even after two decades and a half, the pain and anguish of the survivors continue to torment us."

The Communist Party of India - Marxist expressed concern over the compensation not being paid to the victims of Bhopal gas tragedy. The gas leak killed nearly 20,000 people and left a devastating effect on over 5.7 lakh people.

CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury, who raised the issue in the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, noted with anguish the 'criminal negligence' in the delay in payment of compensation to the victims.

Yechury, who was supported by almost the entire House, said that toxic waste is still lying around the Union Carbide plant, affecting the quality of water and soil in nearby area. He described it as an "act of neglect towards environment cleaning".