Bhopal's Second Disaster - India (40 images)

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Over the past 3 years I have visited Bhopal, India, numerous times documenting severe water pollution and its adverse impact on the local population.

Twenty-seven years have passed since the 1984 gas disaster caused by Union Carbide (now DOW Chemical) in Bhopal, India, but many local families are still living the nightmare that began on December 3, 1984.

Half a million people were exposed to the toxic cloud released from the plant...
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**Text Available**

Over the past 3 years I have visited Bhopal, India, numerous times documenting severe water pollution and its adverse impact on the local population.

Twenty-seven years have passed since the 1984 gas disaster caused by Union Carbide (now DOW Chemical) in Bhopal, India, but many local families are still living the nightmare that began on December 3, 1984.

Half a million people were exposed to the toxic cloud released from the plant and thousands died within a few weeks from exposure, while all of the safety mechanisms in place failed to work.

In 2011, its deadly legacy is not only affecting those who survived, but also their children, many of whom are suffering from severe neurological and physical disorders, caused by the large-scale human and environmental contamination of land and water, continuing unabated today.

Left buried in various spots near the industrial site, the toxic waste of Union Carbide is penetrating the city's underground water reservoirs. As many as 30.000 people are in danger from this contamination or have to rely on expensive, unaffordable alternatives.

DOW Chemical has recently been awarded a ten-year contract as a worldwide Olympic partner and as the official chemistry company for the Olympic Movement until 2020. The deal, estimated to be at around US$ 150-200 million, come in addition to the US$ 7 million Olympic Stadium wrap in London, for which the Olympic Committee has been largely criticized in the past few months.

Since DOW Chemical's acquisition of UC in 2001, for a staggering US$ 11.6 billion, the American corporation has single-handedly refused to accept any responsibility.

With this series I strived to portray my subjects with intimacy, meaning and depth. I wanted to convey emotions, to stimulate our deeper and most innate feelings: our senses of justice, compassion and brotherhood, in the hope of becoming an active catalyst for the promotion of awareness, action and change for the people of Bhopal.
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