Write short notes on:

1. Bhopal gas tragedy
2. Chernobyl disaster

1. Bhopal gas tragedy — The Bhopal Gas tragedy was the worst industrial accident that occurred on December 3, 1984. The accident was caused by release of 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate (MIC) into the atmosphere from Union Carbide's pesticide factory in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
   Nearly 35,000 to 40,000 people were killed. Most of the people affected had breathing problems. The gas affected their nervous system, people lost control of their bodies. Many pregnant women were affected and lost their baby.
   The blood of the victims had permanently got toxified. Methyl isocyanate also interfered severely with their reproductive ability and various plant species have suffered from chromosomal aberrations.

2. Chernobyl disaster — The Chernobyl disaster occurred on April 26, 1986 at Chernobyl Nuclear plant in Ukraine. It was one of the worst disasters in the history of nuclear power. The main reasons for this disaster were poor plant design, incompetence and poorly designed safety measures.
   Whole of Western USSR and other European countries were contaminated by gamma emissions deposited in soil, meat and dairy products were contaminated. Thousands of people became exposed to Chernobyl radiation, affecting living organisms. It caused genetic disorders, variety of cancers and Leukaemia.