WB anti-arsenic drive hampered by lack of awareness, slow implementation

Explaining the extent of arsenic poisoning in the state, the paper published by the All India Institute of Hygiene & Public Health (AIIH&PH), said “Lack of public awareness regarding the problem has further compounded it.”

Incidentally, the AIIH&PH is launching a decentralised community-based project in 400 villages with financial support from the Indo-Canadian Environment Facilities, to supplement government’s efforts in this sector.

The AIIH&PH, which said, “the need of the hour is to test all ground water sources in all blocks,” admitted that it has so far been able to “test only 50,000 tubewells.”

Testing of all ground water resources involves testing of about “2.5 to 3 lakh private and public tubewells,” it said. Creating public awareness on the issue, which forms the thrust of the arsenic mitigation agenda of the institute, will be taken up under the three-phased Decentralised Participatory Project, it said.The five-year project estimated to cost around Rs 9.588 crores, will involve non-government organisations and community level bodies in 400 affected villages of the state.

Under the project a rapid and realistic assessment would be made of the problem at the village level. Training would be given to grass-root level workers in the use of the field test kits.

Immediate supply of safe drinking water to those at risk and developing a long-term action plan would be another priority, the AIIH&PH said.

The project would also look into diagnosis and treatment of those affected by arsenic poisoning. Rural medicos will be given the necessary training for the purpose.

The project strategy will give a major thrust to training, motivating and sensitising NGOs and the workers about the problem to help them implement the programmes, it said.