Mitigation and Remedy of Groundwater Arsenic Menace in India

Mitigation and Remedy of Groundwater Arsenic Menace in India : A Vision DocumentTable 2.2: Summary of groundwater arsenic contamination status in West Bengal, India(Chakraborti et al 2008a)ParametersWest BengalArea in sq. km. 88,750Population in million 80.2Total number of districts (no. of district surveyed) 19 (19)Total number of water samples analyzed 1,40,150% of samples having arsenic > 10 µg L -1 48.1% of samples having arsenic > 50 µg L -1 23.8Maximum arsenic concentration so far we analyzed (µg/L ) 3700No. of severely arsenic affected districts * 9No. of mildly arsenic affected districts* 5No. of arsenic safe districts* 5Total population of severely arsenic affected 9 districts in million 50.4Total area of severely arsenic affected 9 districts in sq. km. 38,861Total number of blocks/ police station 341Total number of blocks/ police station surveyed 241Number of blocks / police station having arsenic >50µgL -1 111Number of blocks / police station having arsenic >10µgL -1 148Total number of village 37910Total number of village surveyed 7823Number of villages/paras having arsenic above 50 µgL -1 3417People drinking arsenic contaminated water >10 µgL -1 (in million) 9.5People drinking arsenic contaminated water >50 µgL -1 (in million) 4.6Population potentially at risk from arsenic contamination > 10 µg L -1 ( inmillion )26No. of districts surveyed for arsenic patients 9No. of districts where arsenic patients found 7Villages surveyed for arsenic patients 602Number of villages where we have identified people with arsenical skin 488lesionsNIH & CGWB 33