Around 1.6 million people vulnerable to Arsenic contamination

CHAIPAINAWABGANJ, July 14 (BSS)- Arsenic poses a serious threat to the health of 1.6 million people as tube-well waters in most of the five upazilas of the district have been founded contaminated with arsenic.

The people of Chapainwabganj, bordering the Indian state of West Bengal are the worst sufferers as they use arsenic contaminated ground water for drinking.

"Although the government and the NGOs with the help of UNICEF have been trying to mitigate the problem and find out alternate sources of safe drinking water the measures still remain at the micro- level," said Executive Engineer of District Public Health Abdul Wadud.

He stressed the need for massive research by the government, adding that UNICEF, World Bank, and other donor agencies should come forward in assisting the government as it requires a big fund to face the challenge.

He sought cooperation of the media people to project the hazards of arsenic to the people and make them bring changes in their behavior and habits in their search for alternative safe drinking water.

Survey conducted in 2003 by the Bangladesh Arsenic Mitigation shows that about 1.6 million people live in the district, of them around 3,000 are infected by arsenic.

This was disclosed when a group of journalists visited the area today under the auspices of 'Advocacy and Communication for Children and Women Project (3rd phase)' which is being implemented by the National News Agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) with the assistance of the UNICEF.

Abdul Wadud said, "We have detected 20,541 tube-wells out of 92,000 infected by arsenic contamination. We have tested the tube- wells under the project and found arsenic contamination in 80 percent of the tube-wells in five upazilas."

The fight against arsenic is very tough. Coordinated efforts of different government and non-government organisations are essential to stem the arsenic contamination," he said.

In many cases, he said, the epidermis disorder damage liver, kidney and eye side by side with creating social stigma.

In this context, he emphasized the need for creating mass awareness in the vulnerable areas so that the people could prevent the disease before infection.

So, the supply of arsenic-free water and proper treatment of the affected people are urgently needed, he added.

Posted in: Around 1.6 million people vulnerable to Arsenic contamination