At least one-fifth of the half-million people exposed to the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal, India, in 1984 continue to suffer from chronic illnesses, according to the National Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (NCJB).
Thousands of young people, exposed at infancy or in their mothers' wombs, show retarded physical growth and mental development, according to the group. Tuberculosis, other infectious diseases and cancers are rising among the exposed population.