Public Holiday In Bhopal: Govt Schools, Offices Closed on December 3

Bhopal: There is a public holiday in Madhya Pradesh's capital city Bhopal on Wednesday (December 3). As per an official release by the General Administration Department of the Madhya Pradesh government, all government offices and institutions will remain closed on the day to honour the lives lost in the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984.

The holiday will apply only to institutions within the Bhopal city limits. Offices in rural areas of the district will remain open.

On the eve of the 41st anniversary of the tragedy, locals and several organisations held a torch march to pay tribute to the victims of the horrific gas leak. Several people, including small children, were seen lighting candles in front of the photos of the victims.

Bhopal Gas Tragedy

The Bhopal gas tragedy refers to the chemical leak in Bhopal on December 3, 1984. The tragedy took place after 45 tons of dangerous methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas escaped from a pesticide plant that was owned by American firm Union Carbide Corporation's Indian subsidiary. The government had a 22% stake in the company's subsidiary, Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL). The UCIL factory was built in 1969 to produce the pesticide Sevin, which is produced by reacting methyl isocyanate (MIC) with alpha naphthol. A plant to produce methyl isocyanate was added at the site in 1979.

More than 3,800 people were killed in the tragedy, which also led to significant morbidity and premature death for many thousands more. The dead bodies of humans and animals were found littered on the streets of the city after the leak, which is considered the worst industrial accident in history.

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