Abhijit Das

Vijoygarh Jyotish Ray College, Kolkata, Calcutta University

Shallow groundwater containing toxic concentrations of arsenic is the primary source of drinking water for millions of households in rural West Bengal, India. Often, this water also contains unpleasant levels of iron and non-negligible fecal contamination. Alternatives to shallow groundwater are increasingly available, including government-built de...

The groundwater arsenic contamination is over three decades ago. Over the years, there have been slew of mitigation measures planned and executed by several private organisations as well as government bodies. Unfortunately, none of these have attained the elusive mark of sustainability. To decipher the crucial missing link using theoretical framewo...

On the face of it, there have been several interventions by the state and its agencies to solve the crisis. But unfortunately, even after several years of planning the implementation has been, at best, sketchy. In this chapter, we put forth the various recommendations and plan objectives undertaken by the government to address the situation over th...

What is the human welfare loss due to arsenic contamination of groundwater? Can this loss be quantified? How much is an individual as well as a family from the affected region willing to pay to save themselves? To understand the real price paid by those affected due to the arsenic contamination of groundwater we adhered to analysis of data collecte...

Water supply is a state’s responsibility. Allocation of safe water, or in the case of arsenic-affected regions of West Bengal having the lack of it, therefore has been at the centre of the crisis. The ‘Right to water’ as mentioned by United Nations is yet to be realised for the common man. In arsenic-infested regions the problem takes on even omino...

Ever since the discovery of arsenic contamination of groundwater in West Bengal, there have been numerous interventions. But the sufferings of those affected have not been addressed. To understand this dichotomy better, we need to ask a simple question: What explains the outcome of intervention programmes? To this end we analysed official documents...

Initially consumption of water was considered to be the only source of arsenic ingestion. However, recent studies have pointed out that arsenic intake is not limited to water consumption . In fact, it has infested the entire food chain . Therefore, arsenic consumption is now happening in multiple forms and through diverse avenues. However, the far...

To arrive at the optimal price that the affected are willing to pay in arsenic affected regions of West Bengal in order to continue in leading a healthy life one needs to identify various hidden costs . To identify these costs we undertook in-depth socio economic surveys in arsenic infested regions of Murshidabad, West Bengal. Findings from this su...

The crisis emanating due to the arsenic contamination of groundwater is not limited to the geographical extents of West Bengal, or for that matter India. In fact, the contamination is spread across the entire region known as the Ganga-Meghna-Brahmaputra (GMB) plains. A substantial segment of these killer plains falls within one of India’s neighbour...

Arsenic contamination of groundwater in the lower Ganga-Meghna-Brahmaputra plains has been famously recognised as the worst man-made disaster ever. In this chapter, we bring to fore the contribution of various human interventions in fuelling this catastrophe. We look into the circumstances that led to the introduction of groundwater usage . We trac...

Since, the detection of the groundwater arsenic contamination crisis mass media have played a critical role in spreading awareness about the catastrophe . Due to their sustained reporting and efforts, awareness level has increased substantially. But, sustained communication, especially by the state and its agencies, has not happened. In fact, the s...

To understand the true impact of the arsenic contamination of groundwater problem in West Bengal, it is imperative that one comprehends its micro and macro dimensions.What has been the extent of the problem and how the sufferings of affected people living in arsenic exposed and infested villages of West Bengal have remained unnoticed and unattended...

What is the source of the arsenic in the groundwater? This fundamental question has been debated by researchers for long. There have been contrasting schools of theories, from geological to man-made, explaining the presence of arsenic in groundwater. In this chapter, through review of literature and interviews with various domain experts, we sum up...

What is the extent of the population affected by the arsenic contamination of groundwater in West Bengal? How is this statistics arrived at? Is the number of affected population constant or has it been rising? How much has the government and its machinery intervened in this public health problem so far? Has the mitigation measures been unbiased in...

Arsenic is a proven carcinogen. Prolonged ingestion of arsenic eventually leads to cancer. Chronic arsenic ingestion has rather distinct symptoms. Since the discovery of arsenic contamination of groundwater in West Bengal and subsequent mitigation efforts, emphasis was laid on medical interventions. However, with time, the stress on medical assista...

The fact that arsenic is poisonous is well known. Complete avoidance is the best preventive action . However, this remains an implausible situation in arsenic affected areas of West Bengal. The obvious question that arises then is what is the safe or permissible limit of arsenic in drinking water. To find out the answer to this critical question, w...

Presents a comprehensive documentation to arsenic-contaminated drinking water use, remedies, outcomes and a potential way forward for India This book presents a socio-economic analysis of the issues linking technological innovation in providing arsenic-safe drinking water in rural areas. It presents concrete field based experiences of experiments a...

This book contributes by depicting real case studies to show the plight, sufferings and failed technology deployment strategies for over decades in the State of West Bengal, the most arsenic exposed state in India. The book also provide rigorous socio-economic analysis of the situation but in a very reader friendly language without compromising the...

Over last 4-5 decades, rampant usage of energy has significantly increased GHG emissions from agricultural sector. Though currently available estimates don’t focus only on agriculture and also don’t include its carbon capture potential. Hence the picture presented is an incomplete one. On the other hand a more direct & focussed study has been condu...

Millions of people are at risk due to high concentrations of arsenic in drinking water and thousands of them are suffering from arsenic related diseases (called Arsenicosis) in the state of West Bengal in India. The loss of human well being due to arsenicosis and health impact is multidimensional. Progress has been made over past two decades to und...

An estimated 60 million low income people in South Asia are affected by chronic exposure to naturally occurring arsenic in drinking water sources. Few household and community level technologies have proven to be sustainable and scalable. Electro-chemical Arsenic Remediation (ECAR) is a low cost, robust, highly effective and easily scalable technolo...