Water for All

Safe Drinking Water Programme

Community Based Arsenic Mitigation:

Arsenic in groundwater above the WHO maximum permissible limit of   0.05 mg per littre has been found in six districts of West Bengal covering   an area of 34,000 Sq.km with a population of 30 million. At present, 37 administrative blocks by the side of the River Ganga and adjoining areas  are affected. Areas affected by arsenic contamination in ground-water are  all located in the upper delta plain, and are mostly in the abandoned meander belt. More than 800,000 people from 312 villages/wards are drinking arsenic contaminated water and amongst them at least 175,000 people show arsenical skin lesions. Thousands of tube-well water in these  six districts has been analyzed for arsenic species. Hair, nails, scales, urine, liver tissue analyses show elevated concentrations of arsenic in  people drinking arsenic-contaminated water for a longer period. The  source   of the arsenic is geological. Bore-hole sediment analyses show high arsenic concentrations in only few soil layers which is found to be associated with iron-pyrites. Various social problems arise due to arsenical skin lesions in these districts. Malnutrition, poor socio-economic conditions, illiteracy, food habits and intake of arsenic-contaminated water for many years have aggravated the arsenic toxicity. In all these districts, major water demands are met from groundwater and the geochemical reaction, caused by high withdrawal of water may be the   cause of arsenic leaching from the source. If alternative water resources   are not utilized, a good percentage of the 30 million people of these six districts may suffer from arsenic toxicity in the near future….. (School of Environmental Studies, Jadavpur University, Calcutta).

SMVS has begun to implement a Community based arsenic remediation program in 22 villages of Sri Mayapur Region. The ultimate goal of this project is to ensure safe, clean water for all the residents of the villages surrounding Sri Mayapur. This, of course, is a long-range goal which ultimately is the responsibility of the local government. Till now in the   first phase total 8 villages have been covered under this programme where SMVS has installed Arsenic Remediation Plants in support of the community. In the second phase SMVS has introduced Arsenic free Home Filter for every household at 14 arsenic affected villages of Greater Mayapur Region. For preparing earthen & constructed Home Filter SMVS has established a Sanitary Mart.

Objectives:

• Raising awareness of the problem and how to deal with it amongst the residents, officials and medical practitioners.

• Establishing community based groups to implement the project in their communities with support of SMVS.

• Initial testing of all water supplies in the project area for arsenic contamination.

• Identification and marking of safe and unsafe water supply.

• To provide filtration systems, attached to tube-wells, tanks, or other water sources wherever adequate access to safe drinking water is not available.

• Promotion of rain-water collection by individual households.

• Preparation of a long-range project scheme for maintaining safe water supply and sustainable water management for the area.