<strong>Mitigation</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Remedy</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Groundwater</strong> <strong>Arsenic</strong> <strong>Menace</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>India</strong> : A Vision Documentus<strong>in</strong>g groundwater. Furthermore, people us<strong>in</strong>g arsenic contam<strong>in</strong>ated groundwater were not awarethat the diseases <strong>and</strong> health hazards, they were experienc<strong>in</strong>g, orig<strong>in</strong>ated from water be<strong>in</strong>g used.To avoid societal fears <strong>and</strong> rejections, arsenic affected people used to hide their diseases. Theseeventually have given rise to aggravation <strong>of</strong> the problem both <strong>in</strong> terms <strong>of</strong> health hazards <strong>and</strong>spread<strong>in</strong>g the contam<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>in</strong> the groundwater doma<strong>in</strong>. Cont<strong>in</strong>uous efforts, to make peopleaware about the ill effect <strong>of</strong> consum<strong>in</strong>g arsenic poisonous groundwater, helped some <strong>of</strong> thevillage heads to realize importance <strong>of</strong> tak<strong>in</strong>g precautionary measures aga<strong>in</strong>st emerg<strong>in</strong>g threats.They facilitated PHED, Govt. <strong>of</strong> Bihar to implement the follow<strong>in</strong>g:(i)(ii)Community based surveillance system for arsenic groundwater monitor<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong> some <strong>of</strong>the affected villages, has been provided, equipp<strong>in</strong>g these villages with Field Test Kits forregular water quality test<strong>in</strong>g.In order to generate social awareness about the uses <strong>of</strong> contam<strong>in</strong>ated water <strong>and</strong>hygiene practices <strong>of</strong> water, PHED, <strong>in</strong> collaboration with CGWB-MER, Patna, hasorganized a number <strong>of</strong> mass awareness programmes particularly, <strong>in</strong> Maner <strong>and</strong> Sampatchawk <strong>in</strong> Patna district, Shahpur, <strong>in</strong> Bhojpur district, Mohiudd<strong>in</strong>nagar <strong>in</strong> Samastipurdistrict, etc.In Bihar, the general awareness <strong>of</strong> populace about groundwater arsenic contam<strong>in</strong>ation<strong>and</strong> its effects is very less. And people are unaware that the sk<strong>in</strong> skeletal <strong>and</strong> other health relateddiseases, experienced by them, are <strong>of</strong> water orig<strong>in</strong>. Rural people have some phobia <strong>of</strong> notswitch<strong>in</strong>g over from habitual use <strong>of</strong> groundwater to alternate surface sources <strong>of</strong> water. Therefore,there is a need <strong>of</strong> break<strong>in</strong>g such orthodox approach by mass awareness programmes. Thecorrective <strong>and</strong> precautionary measures, <strong>in</strong>itiated by the Govt. <strong>of</strong> Bihar, are too less <strong>in</strong> comparisonto the scale up <strong>of</strong> the problem. Unless a comprehensive <strong>and</strong> socially relevant programme, on awar foot<strong>in</strong>g, is conceived <strong>and</strong> implemented, the arsenic related problems <strong>in</strong> the State wouldmultiply many folds.4.3 SummaryEven after 25 years, s<strong>in</strong>ce first surfac<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> arsenic groundwater contam<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>in</strong> WestBengal, the problem resolv<strong>in</strong>g steps are still not sufficient <strong>and</strong> there is no susta<strong>in</strong>able solution.Neither, the underst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> knowledge base, accomplished from R & D activities, is adequateto resolve the problem completely. Nor the counteractive <strong>and</strong> precautionary measures<strong>in</strong>itiated by the government, are sufficient to provide susta<strong>in</strong>able solution to meet the waterdem<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> the rural populace. Numerous <strong>in</strong>vestigations have come out with a number <strong>of</strong> f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs,alternatives <strong>and</strong> propositions, which varied from identification <strong>of</strong> shortfalls to success stories.Undoubtedly, each research study has its own merits <strong>and</strong> adds new <strong>in</strong>formation; however,there is a need to translate research outcomes to problem resolv<strong>in</strong>g issues through a framework<strong>of</strong> activities. Now, the present state <strong>of</strong> affairs <strong>of</strong> the problem, exposed <strong>in</strong> many States <strong>of</strong> <strong>India</strong>,NIH & CGWB 75
<strong>Mitigation</strong> <strong>and</strong> Remediation Update from West Bengal <strong>and</strong> Bihar : Studies <strong>and</strong> Projects Initiateddem<strong>and</strong> a systematic translation <strong>of</strong> success stories <strong>of</strong> one place/region to another, <strong>and</strong>overcom<strong>in</strong>g the shortfalls by conceiv<strong>in</strong>g R & D studies <strong>in</strong> areas wherever they are deemed fit.Some <strong>of</strong> the important achievements, which could help derive a comprehensive framework <strong>of</strong>activities lead<strong>in</strong>g to mitigation <strong>and</strong> remediation <strong>of</strong> the issues emerg<strong>in</strong>g out <strong>of</strong> arsenic menace, areadvancement <strong>in</strong> underst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> geochemical <strong>and</strong> mobilization processes, devis<strong>in</strong>g satisfactoryarsenic removal filters, identification <strong>of</strong> shortfalls <strong>in</strong> operation <strong>and</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>tenance <strong>of</strong> arsenicremoval techniques, del<strong>in</strong>eation <strong>of</strong> risk free deeper aquifers for groundwater tapp<strong>in</strong>g as analternate source <strong>of</strong> groundwater, develop<strong>in</strong>g surface water based water supply schemes <strong>in</strong> manyarsenic affected areas, success stories <strong>of</strong> community participation <strong>in</strong> runn<strong>in</strong>g arsenic removalplants, etc.The calamity <strong>of</strong> groundwater arsenic contam<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>in</strong> the state <strong>of</strong> Bihar is not as old as,<strong>and</strong> as serious as it is <strong>in</strong> West Bengal, however, scal<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>and</strong> surfac<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> groundwater arsenicwith every new additional survey, <strong>in</strong> a number <strong>of</strong> districts, pose a serious threat towards furtherexploitation <strong>and</strong> usages <strong>of</strong> those contam<strong>in</strong>ated aquifers. It also poses a threat to the people us<strong>in</strong>gthe contam<strong>in</strong>ated groundwater <strong>in</strong> different forms. Studies, carried out, <strong>and</strong> action, taken so far <strong>in</strong>the State <strong>of</strong> Bihar to underst<strong>and</strong> the problem resolv<strong>in</strong>g issues, counteractive measures, etc., aremeager <strong>in</strong> comparison to the State <strong>of</strong> West Bengal. While characteristics <strong>and</strong> features <strong>of</strong> theproblem, geological formations <strong>and</strong> causes <strong>of</strong> the problem are largely similar <strong>and</strong> represent thehydro-geological setups <strong>of</strong> the same river bas<strong>in</strong>, except the difference <strong>in</strong> socio-economic, sociocultural<strong>and</strong> social composite structure. Thus, these meager f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs from the state <strong>of</strong> Bihar,together with the experiences <strong>and</strong> knowledgebase acquired so far, from West Bengal, will helpto evolve a framework <strong>of</strong> activities <strong>and</strong> susta<strong>in</strong>able mitigation strategies for the state <strong>of</strong> Bihar aswell.76NIH & CGWB
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