Endangered generations
"It is my contention that not only thousands of present sufferers but countless future generations are still gravely at risk from groundwater contamination in West Bengal. About 40 million people in 9 districts are at risk from arsenic toxicity. Many people with moderate to severe arsenical skin lesions have been found to develop cancer eventually. Previously, it was thought skin cancer is the common type of cancer caused by arsenic. But lung, liver, colon and bladder cancers have been found among those suffering from chronic arsenic toxicity.
We have been engaged for the last 14 years in the task of surveying the magnitude of the arsenic problem in West Bengal. With every subsequent survey, there is an increase of both the number of affected villages and that of ailing person. We have noticed that, where a few years ago after analysing hand tubewells and colouring them green (therefore, safe to drink from), a good percentage are now no more safe. Thus with time, the contamination has increased.
Surveys are yet to be conducted on the amount of arsenic in irrigation water and consequent entry into the food chain. We have been doing a survey for the last 3 years: rice, spinach, arum, and other items of daily diet have been found to have elevated arsenic concentration. Arsenic is slowly becoming a part of our lives.
The government of West Bengal has steadily ignored or deliberately reduced the extent of this environmental hazard. On April 5, 1999 the health minister claimed substantial improvement in the situation from that in 1983. In August 2000 a high-ranking state government official told in an international meeting on arsenic that West Bengal had only 450 arsenic patients. And that arsenic-free drinking water is supplied to people through a pipeline network. The government has accused me of spreading panic among innocent citizens. They have characterised our findings as incorrect and untrue.
West Bengal and Bangladesh are the land of rivers and rains. We have totally neglected our surface water
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