NEW DELHI, 5 September — Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam will set off today for a visit to Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal, the site of the world’s worst industrial disaster — the gas leak tragedy of 1984.
Kalam will interact with survivors of the tragedy during his 24-hour visit to the city.
On his arrival, the president will proceed straight to the National Memorial Hospital for gas victims and formally inaugurate the institution. The 360-bed hospital, which has started functioning since its completion last year, was built for the survivors of the tragedy that has claimed thousands of lives.
It was largely funded with compensation paid by Union Carbide, which owned the gas plant that triggered the mayhem.
Kalam will talk to many patients who are still getting treatment for after effects of the chemical leak. Tons of the lethal methyl iso-cyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide plant on the night of Dec. 2-3, 1984, killing some 1,750 people instantly and maiming thousands for life. The death toll has since soared to several thousands. Afterward, Kalam will inaugurate a National Judicial Academy and launch a public education scheme.
Former Supreme Court Chief Justice A.M. Ahmadi heads the academy that has been involved in setting up the gas hospital.
Since the visit coincides with Teacher’s Day celebrations commemorating the birth anniversary of India’s second President S. Radhakrishnan, the president will also interact with some 60 schoolchildren.
The next day, the president will visit village Torni in the Khandwa district of the state to see a watershed management project. Kalam will return to the capital in the afternoon.
