Arsenic Pollution in Bangladesh
The arsenic pollution of groundwater has become a major problem for the people of Bangladesh. Many people especially in North Bengal suffer from arsenic poisoning. The soil here contains arsenic in mineral form and is pumped out for drinking and irrigation. Over a period of about 20-25 years, almost four million wells have been installed to utilize the groundwater.
Abuse of groundwater from these wells has resulted in mobilizing the arsenic and led to mass poisoning in Bangladesh. Presence of arsenic in natural sources in the groundwater is not unusual and has been documented in other parts of the world. The rural population is most affected by the arsenic contamination largely because of lack of access to safe drinking water. People affected by arsenic poison usually suffer from skin diseases. The victim's palm, leg and back become sore. Long term suffering can cause skin cancer. So, it is called silent killer. The affected people feel weak all the time. Recent estimates indicate that more than 35 million people are potentially at risk from drinking contaminated water. This indeed brings the problem to a catastrophic scale that has not been experienced by humankind before.
The Bangladesh government with support of international agencies and local and international NGO groups has initiated a number of programmes to determine the extent of the problem. Considering the unprecedented scale of this disaster, it has been a major challenge to come up with a cohesive strategy to tackle the problem. This is particularly difficult due to the fact that the problem is multi-dimensional and involves a number of sectors. However, the government should take more effective steps to save the people from the menace of arsenic.
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