Lesions of Death: Bengal’s Unending Battle with Underground Water Contamination
Summary
TLDRThe script highlights the ongoing arsenic contamination crisis in West Bengal, India, affecting thousands with health issues and death. Despite awareness and efforts to provide arsenic-free water, the problem persists in irrigation and livestock, impacting the food chain. The situation has improved with clean water availability, but challenges remain in remote areas where economic constraints hinder access to clean water. The narrative emphasizes the need for holistic solutions to this slow poisoning affecting lives across the region.
Takeaways
- 🌐 West Bengal's districts have been battling arsenic contamination in groundwater for nearly 35 years.
- 💉 Long-term consumption of arsenic-laden water leads to severe health issues, including pain, suffering, and death.
- 👵 Personal stories, like Safura BB's, illustrate the devastating impact of arsenic on individuals and families.
- 🚰 The issue of arsenic contamination was first reported in the 1980s, linked to tube wells in the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta Basin.
- 🔍 Overdrawing of groundwater is identified as a possible cause of arsenic mixing with drinking water.
- 🤒 Symptoms of arsenic poisoning include gastrointestinal problems, vomiting, liver disease, and skin issues.
- 🏥 The effects of arsenic poisoning are widespread, affecting numerous districts and causing chronic health conditions.
- 🏫 Schools in affected areas face challenges with arsenic contamination, even in drinking water meant for children.
- 🔬 Jadavpur University has been actively studying and testing water samples to understand the extent of arsenic contamination.
- 🌾 The use of contaminated water for irrigation affects the entire food chain, leading to secondary contamination.
- 🛠 Government efforts to supply arsenic-free water and install removal plants (ARPs) are ongoing but face challenges.
- 💧 Simple solutions like drinking clean water and rainwater harvesting are effective but require more widespread implementation.
Q & A
What is the main issue discussed in the video script?
-The main issue discussed is the arsenic contamination in underground water in many districts of West Bengal, India, and its devastating health effects on the local population.
How long has the arsenic contamination problem been ongoing in West Bengal?
-The arsenic contamination problem has been ongoing for nearly 35 years in the affected districts of West Bengal.
What are the immediate health effects of consuming arsenic-contaminated water?
-The immediate health effects include gastrointestinal problems, vomiting, liver disease, and skin problems such as rough skin and keratosis formations.
What are the long-term effects of arsenic poisoning on the human body?
-Long-term effects of arsenic poisoning include painful lesions, which can be debilitating and sometimes turn cancerous, leading to death.
How does arsenic contamination affect the local community's daily life?
-Arsenic contamination affects daily life by causing lifelong pain, suffering, and death among community members, as well as impacting their economic profile and access to clean water.
What is the role of the school in the arsenic-contaminated areas regarding water safety?
-Schools in arsenic-contaminated areas are affected as children are exposed to arsenic during washing and cleaning, and sometimes through midday meal preparation, even if they do not drink the contaminated water.
What is the permissible limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the script?
-The permissible limit of arsenic in drinking water is 10 micrograms per liter.
How has the situation of chronic ailments due to arsenic contamination improved recently?
-The situation has improved due to increased awareness and better availability of arsenic-free water in many places.
What are the challenges faced by arsenic removal plants (ARPs) mentioned in the script?
-One of the challenges is that the coagulation treatment used for arsenic removal in some ARPs may not be effective, as evidenced by water samples showing arsenic levels four times higher than the recommended value.
What is the solution proposed in the script to mitigate the effects of arsenic contamination?
-The solution proposed is to drink clean water over a long time, harness surface water, and implement rainwater harvesting to provide clean alternative sources of water.
Why is the future uncertain for people living in the arsenic belt according to the script?
-The future is uncertain because clean alternative sources of water are not yet available everywhere, and the affordability of buying clean water is a question given the economic profile of the people.
Outlines
💧 The Silent Catastrophe of Arsenic Contamination
This paragraph describes the ongoing crisis of arsenic contamination in West Bengal's groundwater, affecting districts like Malda, Nadia, and South 24 Parganas for nearly 35 years. The script introduces Safura BB, a resident of Dasa Village, who has witnessed the devastating effects of arsenic poisoning, including the loss of family members and widespread health issues. The paragraph also explains that arsenic contamination was first reported in the 1980s and is a result of overdrawing groundwater. The symptoms of arsenic poisoning are outlined, including gastrointestinal problems, liver disease, and skin disorders that can become cancerous. The paragraph emphasizes the slow and painful nature of arsenic poisoning and its long-term impact on the affected communities.
🌾 The Ripple Effect of Arsenic Poisoning on Communities
The second paragraph delves into the widespread impact of arsenic contamination, highlighting the suffering of families and communities across various districts. Bullu Biswas, a resident of Tagoria Village, shares her story of losing her husband to cancer due to arsenic poisoning. The script also discusses the effects on school children in Haring Gata block, where one hand pump provides contaminated water for washing, and the other, intended for clean drinking water, has been non-functional for three years. The children are at risk of skin problems due to arsenic exposure. Dr. Tariq Roy Choudhury from Jadavpur University's School of Environmental Studies discusses the findings of their research on arsenic contamination in schools and the daily intake of arsenic by children through various means, including midday meal preparation and domestic water consumption.
🚰 The Struggle for Clean Water and the Path to Recovery
The final paragraph addresses the efforts to combat arsenic contamination, including government initiatives to supply arsenic-free water and install arsenic removal plants (ARPs). However, it also points out the challenges faced by these plants, such as the one at Hinata hospital, which was found to have arsenic levels four times higher than recommended. The paragraph discusses the secondary contamination through the use of contaminated water for irrigation and livestock, affecting the entire food chain. It presents the solution of drinking clean water over time to cure health problems caused by arsenic and mentions the success of rainwater harvesting in Gata block. The script concludes by emphasizing the need for a holistic solution, as the availability and affordability of clean water remain significant challenges for the affected communities.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Arsenic contamination
💡Underground water
💡Slow poison
💡Gastrointestinal problems
💡Liver disease
💡Skin problems
💡Nervous system
💡Arsenic removal plants (ARPs)
💡Permeable limit
💡Irrigation
💡Rainwater harvesting
Highlights
West Bengal districts have been battling arsenic contamination in groundwater for nearly 35 years.
Thousands have consumed arsenic-laden water for decades, leading to pain, suffering, and death.
Arsenic contamination was first reported in the 1980s in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta Basin.
Overdrawing of groundwater is one possible cause of arsenic mixing with drinking water.
Arsenic's slow poisoning effects have debilitating long-term health impacts.
Victims suffer from gastrointestinal issues, vomiting, liver disease, and skin problems due to arsenic exposure.
Skin lesions, some cancerous, are a common symptom of arsenic poisoning.
Arsenic contamination affects not only individuals but also entire families.
School children are also at risk, with arsenic exposure through water used for washing and midday meal preparation.
Arsenic-contaminated water used for irrigation can affect the entire food chain.
Government efforts include supplying arsenic-free water and installing arsenic removal plants (ARPs).
ARPs have challenges, with some found to still have arsenic levels four times higher than recommended.
Drinking clean water over time can cure health problems caused by arsenic poisoning.
Harnessing surface water and rainwater harvesting are potential solutions to the arsenic crisis.
Clean alternative water sources are not yet universally available, and affordability is a concern.
A holistic and complete solution is urgently needed to address the arsenic contamination issue.
People in arsenic-affected areas live uncertainly, relying on nature's mercy for their future.
Transcripts
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forch
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for it is a catastrophe that does not
make head lines
anymore for nearly 35 years many
districts of West Bengal including malda
Nadia mid Abad North 24 paragas South 24
paragas baman have been fighting arsenic
contamination in underground water
thousands of people here have been
consuming arsenic Laden water for a long
time some close to three
decades it is a slow poison that
eventually leads to a lifetime of pain
suffering and in several cases
death safura BB in Dasa Village of
haringa block of Nadya District does not
remember her age she says she could be
80 or more but what she does remember is
that she has had a painful life she has
lost her husband and her Elder son
already and now
her younger son is sick too the reason
complications arising out of consuming
arsenic lead in water for a long
time
spech
fore foreign
arsenic contamination was first reported
in the
1980s tube Wells along the ganga
brahmaputra Delta Basin of West Bal go
have been spewing arsenic for a long
time now one of the possible reasons is
overdrawing of underground water when
arsenic mixes with the drinking water
the results have been debilitating
arsenic being a slow poison has taken
its toll over a long period
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for
for
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Fore fore
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these is a very very slow poisoning but
the acute symptoms are gastro interal
problem vomiting then liver disease and
then if he goes in the skin problem is
there we are normally detecting through
the skin problems because you see there
is a skin being rough there is a cartin
formations and uh there involvement of
the many other system like nervous
system so that the presenting symptom in
many areas for the victims life is
proving to be very tough as arsenic
poisoning grips their body painful
lesions appear all over crippling their
lives some lesions turn cancerous and
result in death This Is marjum Khan
resident of B chatra Village Rani nagar
2 of rid
Abad this is Jalil Saha shahaji Pura
Village of the same block these men are
from Chuck Joan Village names change
locations change but the suffering is a
constant across these districts and
sometimes it is the family that suffers
most this is bullu biswas resident of
tagoria Village of Gata block of North
24 pagna
she lost her husband to cancer a result
of arsenic contamination while she
herself is a victim as well
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this is dandia Nagata pric Vidal in the
fatur village of Haring Gata block Nadya
District Haring Gata block is one of the
worst affected in terms of arsenic
contamination in drinking water and
these school children are not left
untouched either the school has two hand
pumps for water one that is used for
washing and cleaning is contaminated
with arsenic and the other is for clean
drinking water the problem is the one
with clean drinking water has been
defunct for close to 3
years while the children do not consume
the water from the Arsenic Laden pump
their skin is constantly exposed to
arnic raising risks of skin
problems my school location is very
highly affected arenic area my school
has two hand from Mark to and water
supply or government water supply but
the government water supply is totally
Clos
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from our experience uh we were involved
to study with number of schools located
in different arsenic contaminated
districts as well as from the Kolkata
districts we have extensively on this
issue and from our very observation we
have found that uh not only the school
children they they were taking arsenic
contaminated water from their school
tube although that was for a very short
period of time maybe 4 hours or 5 hours
maybe one time or two time they took but
during the washing and other things they
also consumed some amount of AR and
another big concern is midday midday mil
preparation because that that water is
particularly used for Mid preparation
and apart from school timing these
school children where they are located
so that is also in located in Arsenic
contaminated belt so we have tested also
their domestic uh groundwater samples
and we have found so several o
throughout the day from domestic level
from school level uh through drinking
water through rise grain through other
food steps they're consuming a
considerable amount of aring in their
daily life Dr tarit Roy Chri is with the
school of environment studies jadur
University in Kolkata which has been
working on arsenic contamination since
the problem first
surfaced with the help of their
representatives who collected samples
from these districts the water samples
were tested at their labs and this is
what we
found we have analyzed five water
samples among which four water samples
are within the permissible limit of
arsenic in drinking water whereas one of
the water samples that is collected from
the SKU table of noia District Hinata
block is around 37 ppb which is
3.7 times higher than the permissible
limit of Arsenic and drinking water the
permissible limit of Arsenic and
drinking water is 10 microgram per liter
the situation of chronic ailments due to
arsenic contamination has gotten better
in recent times this is is largely due
to awareness and better availability of
arsenic free water at many
places however though the consumption of
this water has come down it still
continues to be used for irrigation and
feeding
livestock these become the secondary
source of contamination with the entire
food chain getting
affected when they use this arsenic
contaminated water for the cultivations
for the irrigations purpose then the the
vegetables the grains they are also
containing the Arsenic and when you are
consuming then this is also affect the
body the government is involved in
efforts of supplying arsenic free water
to remote Villages and installing
arsenic removal plants or Arps at many
places however the Arps have their own
challenges see currently we are standing
at Hinata hospital this is a village
Hospital
and initially government installed this
arsenic removal plant what we call
ARP um nearly 10 12 years ago but see
they are using coagulation treatment for
removal of arsenic huh but recently we
have tested the water and what we have
found that the current arsenic level in
this water is four times higher than the
recommended value of f the solution to
these chronic ailments is rather simple
drinking clean water over a long time
can cure a patient of his health
problems harnessing surface water and
rainwater harvesting is one of the ways
ahead in Gata block of North 24 paragas
kipar sarar has been doing it for a few
years supplying water to nearby areas
victims around this place claim to have
been nearly cured with this simple
remedy it is a simple solution to a
complex problem but challenges remain
clean alternative sources of water are
not yet available everywhere and given
the economic profile of the people
affordability of buying clean water is a
question holistic thorough and complete
solution is the urgent need till that
happens the people along this arsenic
belt live at the mercy of nature unsure
of what the future holds
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