Bhopal, February 4: Four decades after the catastrophic gas leak in Bhopal, many residents continue to suffer from various health issues. According to activists working with gas victims, the incidence of cancer in affected areas is 13 times higher than in other regions.
On World Cancer Day, members of the Sambhavna Trust Clinic, which provides treatment for gas victims, reported that the cancer rate among the population affected by the 1984 Union Carbide disaster is approximately 13 times greater than that of the unaffected population.
Data indicates that men among the gas-affected individuals have a higher cancer rate compared to women. Radhe Lal Napit, a member of the clinic’s community health survey unit, stated that they have collected health data from 21,276 gas victims and 25,528 unaffected individuals, ensuring similar income and education levels. The cancer statistics pertain to those diagnosed between 1992 and 2012.
Farhat Jahan, a member of the door-to-door survey team, noted that the cancer rate among the gas-affected population is 1,569.84 per 100,000, while the rate for the unaffected population stands at 117.52 per 100,000. The cancer rate among gas-affected men is 14.92 times higher, while for women, it is 12.22 times higher.
Chandrashekhar Sahu, another survey team member, revealed that the rate of blood cancer among the gas-affected population is 21.6 times higher than that of the unaffected group. Similarly, the rates for lung and throat cancers are 28.78 and 33.86 times higher, respectively, compared to the unaffected population.
