Anatomy of a poison
There is no doubt that arsenic is present in Ballia. But why is it there? Is there anything common between the geology of this place and West Bengal, or any other affected area? Why aren't natural arsenic poisoning cases reported from Delhi or Mumbai on a widescale? Why are most affected areas reported to date located near the Ganga?
The questions are endless. So are the answers, in the form of scientific theories on which there is no consensus.
Essentially, there are two main theories and then many sub theories on whether arsenic in groundwater is due to human activities or naturally present and whether it is found in water because of certain soil conditions or is aggravated through human intervention. Unfortunately, the world of science has been so lost in its