Bhopal: Twenty years after the Bhopal gas disaster, people in Bhopal were recounting today (Dec 2, 2004) the horrors of the gas leak on the night of December 2-3, 1984, through rallies and seminars while residents were facing serious health hazards due to toxic substances lying in the abandoned Union Carbide factory premises.

The presence of tonnes of hazardous substances is feared to be polluting the environment and ground water in and around the deserted factory. Besides, the gas leak had claimed over 15,000 lives and had left thousands of others maimed.

Amidst adverse remarks by agencies, including Human Rights group Amnesty International, the Union Government has recently assigned the task of conducting a survey on the modalities of toxic waste disposal to Engineers India Ltd (EIL).

As Madhya Pradesh Gas Relief Minister Uma Shankar Gupta puts it, "EIL has been asked to carry out a survey to determine how to go about the work".

Similarly, the State Government will conduct a fresh survey to test the quality of drinking water in habitats near the factory as a 1999 survey had showed that the toxic waste stored in the factory has polluted ground water in nearby areas. Thus a fresh survey will be shortly carried out, he said.

To mark the day, rallies, seminars and exhibitions were being held by organisations like Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan and Sambhavna Trust.

Noted writers Dominique Lapierre and Javier Moro, authors of "It was five past midnight at Bhopal" were also present to participate in various programmes.