The London Olympics countdown on Monday reached 200 days and Prime Minister David Cameron held a Cabinet meeting at the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London.
However, activists lobbying against the sponsorship by Dow Chemical Company of the London Olympics on Monday challenged mayor Boris Johnson and Lord Sebastian Coe, chairman of London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, to taste the Bhopal water, which is the only drinking water accessible to many residents of the city.
The activists, led by Farah Williams, a survivor of the Bhopal disaster, at a public event at Trafalgar Square near the Olympic countdown clock, had a specially designed bottle of B’eauPal drinking water, a spoof mineral water product, to offer to Lord Coe and Mr Johnson.
The campaigners had a specially-designed Olympic-style banner, with a slogan, “200 Days Left to Dump Dow!”
The campaigners, led by Brighton-based Bhopal Medical Appeal and Labour MP Barry Gardiner, said the Bhopal water table is “contaminated with highly toxic chemicals that Dow’s subsidiary, Union Carbide, recklessly dumped while their Bhopal factory was in production.”
“Join us for a sip or a glass,” Mr Gardiner said in a challenge to Lord Coe.
“If he is happy to take up the challenge, then we will be happy to take him to the site of Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal to see for himself the contamination that is still there to his day that is causing deformities at birth for children, that are 10 times higher than elsewhere in India,” Mr Gardiner added.
“Despite the continuing furore concerning Dow Chemical’s sponsorship of the London Olympics, Locog’s position is that they remain satisfied with Dow Chemical’s ethical performance and sustainability,” the Bhopal Medical Appeal said.
Urging the London Games organising committee to drop Dow as sponsors, the Labour MP said: “There are 200 days for Locog and Lord Coe to remove Dow as the sponsors of the Olympic Stadium’s wrap,” he warned.
The campaigners said they wanted to build up pressure on Dow Chemical so that they do not gain from positive publicity from association with Olympics. “We have to keep up the pressure on Locog to get a positive response. We also want to make it clear to Dow that the longer they stay associated with the Olympics, the more they will lose in the public sentiment. We want to ensure they get the worst possible PR to make them change their mind on the Bhopal issues, and cleaning the site of the disaster in Bhopal,” Mr Gardiner added.