What is the severity of Arsenic problem in West Bengal?
West Bengal is the state, most seriously affected by arsenic in groundwater. The School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata, first identified the problem in North 24 Parganas in 1984. The State’s Arsenic Task force reports that 79 blocks out of a total of 172 in eight districts are known to be affected. Blanket testing of public hand pumps in the eight rural districts, known to be affected, has revealed that 26% are contaminated with arsenic at more than 50 µg/L. The total population potentially at risk (i.e. living in these areas) is 50 million based on the current BIS standard of 10 µg/L while the population that consume over 50µg/L is 6 million. These figures are only an estimate.
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- What is the severity of Arsenic problem in West Bengal?