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ARSENIC POLLUTION IN BANGLADESH
For the past two decades the water from over a
million tube-wells has been slowly poisoning Bangladeshi
villagers with naturally occurring arsenic. Over 18 millions
people are drinking this poisoned water daily.
 
Arsenic is naturally occurring in pyrite bedrock
underlying much of West Bengal. The poisoning began to occur as
millions of kiloliters of water was being pumped out from deep
within underground reservoirs. As a result the water level
dropped and exposed the arsenic-bearing pyrite to air leading to
oxidisation, a reaction which flushed arsenic into the remaining
water.
Arsenic is a slow killer that accumulates in the
body resulting in nails rotting, dark spots, bleeding sores,
swelling, large warts and a form of gangrene. It is carcinogen
increasing the risk of skin cancer and tumors of the bladder,
kidney, liver and lungs.
Villagers in Jampukkur, first noticed something
was wrong in the 1970’s when dark spots spread across their
bodies. They finally learned they were drinking arsenic
contaminated water in 1993 when official tests showed 95% of the
village wells were contaminated.
As a result of widespread water contamination
domestic abuse has become just one of the social costs. There
are now many reports of broken marriage, as husbands send
disfigured wives back to their parents. In Jampukkur, many young
men and women don’t get married at all. Some people think the
poison can be passed on from parent to child so many arsenic
poisoned women have problems finding husbands.
ARSENIC IN THE DRAFT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, NATIONAL WATER
MANAGEMENT PLAN
DDS-NWMP publication details
Recent Reports
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