Diseases of the eyes, lungs, liver and kidney, loss of sensation in the limbs, cancer, menstrual irregularities, depression, hypertension, infertility, mental disorders… the victims of the world’s worst industrial disaster continue to wage a daily battle on the health front. Hazira B, who still lives in JP Nagar opposite the Union Carbide plant from where over 40 tones of toxic methyl isocyanate gas leaked out on the night of Dec 2/3, says it would have been better had they died. “My entire family suffers from breathlessness, body pain and weak eyesight. My daughter suffers from fainting fits while my youngest son has tuberculosis. I have had two miscarriages before reaching menopause at 39,” said the 51-year-old mother of three who was deserted by her husband a few years after the disaster. There are many like her, still reeling from the after effects that are too many to list. Besides those directly impacted were the pregnant women, many of whose children were born with genetic defects and mental retardation. The reproductive cycle of women, the quality of their breast milk and menstrual cycles were impacted too. “I had my first pregnancy aborted while running for a safer place after the gas leak. I never conceived again as menstruation stopped. The gas left me infertile and also gave me several other diseases,” said Pyari Bai, 42. NGOs estimate that 120,000 to 150,000 residents of Bhopal continue to be ill. Clinics report a regular stream of patients with a host of diseases.