AN APPROACH TO COMMUNITY BASED PROJECT TO MITIGATE ARSENIC POLLUTION IN WEST
BENGAL, INDIA
Presented By
P.K. Dutta, Engineer-in-Chief & Ex-Officio Secretary,
Public Health Engineering Department,
Govt. of West Bengal, India
WEST BENGAL
JHARKHAND
CHATTISGARH
UTTAR PRADESH
BIHAR
ASSAM
MYANMAR
BANGLADESH
NEPAL
THAILAND
VIETNAM
COMBODIA
CHINA
Asian countries affected with excess Arsenic in Ground Water
- India, Bangladesh, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia, etc.
States In India, apart from West Bengal where excess Arsenic in Ground Water has been reported
- Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, UP and Assam.
Background of Arsenic Contamination in West Bengal
• First detected in early eighties through epidemiological studies
Background of Arsenic Contamination in West Bengal
• Geogenic in nature.• Contamination is mainly in near
surface aquifer between 20 to 80 Mtr.• Upper and deeper aquifer (where
exists) are mostly free from Arsenic contamination.
Extent & Magnitude of the Problem in West Bengal
Arsenic Affected Districts : 8
Arsenic Affected Blocks : 79
Habitations in the Affected Blocks : 17533
Rural Population (2001)At Risk : 16 Million
Urban Population (2001)At Risk : 12 Million
Mitigation Measures Taken in West Bengal
Type of Mitigation Measure
% Risk Population (Rural) Covered
Short Term 12 %Medium Term 31 %Long Term 16 %Total 59 %
KeratosisRecovery after Consumption of
Arsenic Free Water
Ring wells 166 nos.
83000
Tube-wells in deeper aquifer fitted with hand pump
8037 nos.
Population benefited 2.0 Million
Population Benefitted
Arsenic treatment unit fitted with existing hand pump
• Cost of each installation
• Number installed 2396
• Population benefited from each source (cooking & drinking)
600 - 800
$ 1400.00 (approx.)
• Total Population benefited 600,000
Arsenic Removal Plant in Existing Piped Water Supply Scheme
• Per capita cost
12 nos.
• Population benefited from each scheme (on and average)
15000
• Cost of Operation and Maintenance per million ltr.
$ 95.00
$ 7.15
Surface Water Based Piped Water Supply Scheme – 3 Nos.
• Per capita cost
$ 48.00 (approx.)
• Cost of O & M per million ltr.
$ 107.00 (approx.)
• Total Design Population
5.13 Million
• Total Villages Covered
1200 (approx.)
A. Malda Water Supply Scheme• Total Supply 75 MLD
• Design population 1.43 Million
• Capital Cost $ 31.19 Million
B. South 24-Parganas Water Supply Scheme
• Total Supply 145.31 MLD
• Design Population 2.95 Million
• Capital Cost $ 77.38 Million
C. North 24-Pgns. Water Supply Scheme• Total Supply 34 MLD
• Design population 0.75 Million
• Estimated Cost $33.01 Million
JOINT PLAN OF ACTION WITH UNICEF• Under the Joint Plan of Action with UNICEF, the Public
Health Engineering Department and has initiated various activities such as:
• Setting up of Community Based 20 Arsenic Testing Laboratories (other than the existing 15 PHED Labs)in the arsenic affected blocks of West Bengal.
• Community Based Water Testing of all public tubewells in the arsenic affected 79 blocks of 8 districts.
• Painting of all the safe tubewells with blue color.• Conducting GPS Survey and preparation GIS based
maps for all public tubewells tested. • Advocacy and awareness generation in all the
arsenic affected blocks by film show, songs, wall writings, miking etc.
• Sensitization Programmes at State, District and Block level involving the Gram Panchayats, Zilla Parishads and other stake holders.
JOINT PLAN OF ACTION WITH UNICEF
• Setting up of Health clinics in the arsenic affected blocks to identify the arsenicosis patients and provide required intervention.
• Production of Arsenic Removal Domestic Filters through 66 nos. of Rural Sanitary Marts, run by the Community. So far 15,000 such filters have been distributed benefiting about 75,000 populations.
• All Rural Schools having Arsenic Affected Water Sources provided with Arsenic Removal Domestic Filters.
JOINT PLAN OF ACTION WITH UNICEF
GIS Based Map for Arsenic Affected Areas of West BengalGIS Based Map for Arsenic Affected Areas of West Bengal
GIS Based Map for Arsenic Affected GIS Based Map for Arsenic Affected Areas of West BengalAreas of West Bengal
GIS Based Map for Arsenic Affected Areas of West Bengal
• Name of District/ Block/ GP/ Village• Location of Tube-well• Depth of Tube-well• Static Water Level• Type of Tube-well• Date of installation• Date of testing• Arsenic Concentration in mg./l.
AVAILABLE INFORMATION FOR EACH TUBE-WELL
GP: Tekkaraipur-Balumati
Block: Raninagar – I
Dist. Murshidabad
Summary of the Master Plan Prepared on the Basis of the Test Results of all Public Hand
Pump Tubewells in the Arsenic Affected Ares of West Bengal
Sl. No.
Type of SchemeNo. of
Schemes
Nos. of Villages Covered
Census Popl. 2001
(Million)
Design Popl.
(Million)
Estimated Cost
($ Million)
1Surface Water Based Scheme
8 1266 3.85 5.88 298.57
2
New Ground Water Based Scheme with Provision of Arsenic Removal Plant (ARP)
361 1579 4.47 6.89 178.57
3New Ground Water Based Scheme without Arsenic Removal Plant
21 39 0.09 0.14 3.33
4ARP in existing Ground Water Based Scheme
165 663 2.88 3.66 19.76
TOTAL 555 3547 11.29 16.57 500.23
The Govt. of West Bengal is poised to implement this Master Plan with the
joint endeavor between the State Government and Union Govt., support
of UNICEF and with the active participation of people of West Bengal.
