INSITUARSENIC.ORG

A vast area of the eastern part of river Ganges in West Bengal is affected due to arsenic contamination in ground water. 65 blocks, 15 non-municipal urban outgrowth, 9 municipal towns, 1312 villages and 3133 habitations spread over in 8 districts are affected so far. As per studies made in 2000, a minimum of 10 million people including about 2.5 million children belonging to 9 out of the total 18 districts of West Bengal were drinking arsenic contaminated ground water which contains arsenic more than 50 mg/L, much above the maximum limit set by WHO, which is 10 mg/L and about a 3 million people were already suffering from arsenic related diseases. About 40 million inhabitants of these 9 districts (Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, North-24-Parganas, South-24-Parganas, Burdwan, Howrah, Hoogly and Kolkata) are at extreme risk from arsenic toxicity. According to the report of Public Health Engineering Dept. Government of West Bengal, up to 2001, no. of arsenic affected blocks is 75, moujas1 11,..

Primary location: Edinburgh United Kingdom