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发帖数: 174 | 1 NEW DELHI: About 239 million people across 153 districts in 21 states drink
water that contains unacceptably high levels of arsenic. In effect, they are
being slowly poisoned. Calculations based on information provided by the
water resources ministry in response to a question in the Lok Sabha reveal
that 65% of Assam's population, or about 21 million people, is drinking
arsenic-contaminated water, while it's 60% in Bihar and 44% in West Bengal.
In terms of absolute numbers, however, Uttar Pradesh has the largest number
of people, over 70 million, exposed to arsenic-contaminated water.
How did we get to these numbers? The response to the question contained a
list of the 153 districts. We then got the population figures for each
district from the census.
The census also gives details of the proportion of households in each
district that depend on different sources of water for drinking. Hence, we
took only those households that are dependent on groundwater sources like
wells, tubewells and hand pumps. The population figures were then adjusted
for 2016 based on the census's own projections for states.
The World Health Organisation has warned that longterm intake of such water
leads to arsenic poisoning or arsenicosis, with cancer of skin, bladder,
kidney or lung, or diseases of skin (colour changes, and hard patches on
palms and soles), or blood vessels of legs and feet. Fresh evidence
indicates a possible association between intake of contaminated water and
onset of diabetes, hypertension and reproductive disorders, states a WHO
document.
States like Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Goa, Tripura and Arunachal
have not reported arsenic contamination in groundwater in any district.
Odisha and Rajasthan are among the least affected states, with just one
district in each having high arsenic levels in groundwater.
For India, the WHO has said that, in the absence of an alternative source of
water, arsenic of 0.05 mg/l could be treated as a permissible level. How
many districts are above even this level? The answer given in Parliament
unfortunately does not have that information. Where does this arsenic come
from? The main source in drinking water is arsenic rich rocks through which
the water filters.
It may also occur because of mining or industrial activities. Drinking the
water, crops irrigated with it, and food prepared with contaminated water
are the sources of exposure. Fish, shellfish, meat, poultry, dairy products
and cereals could also be dietary sources of arsenic. | j****i
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