Arsenic problem in Ganga Basin

• Workshop on Arsenic problem in ground water and its remediation in Ganga Basin was recently organised by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) in New Delhi.
• The government has underlined the need to make people aware about the negative impact of Arsenic in Ganga basin area.
• It has also proposed to prepare an exhaustive work plan to meet the challenges posed by presence of arsenic in ground water on the basis of the outcome of this workshop.

Analysis:

• Ganga basin region's groundwater is affected by arsenic poisoning, a health hazard that's been largely ignored while the government focuses on reducing the flow of toxic industrial and municipal waste into the river.
• The first report of arsenic contamination came in 1976 from Punjab, which warned: "The possibility of more widespread groundwater arsenic contamination, particularly in the Ganga river basin, might be found in the future."
•  In 1982, West Bengal reported arsenic contamination of groundwater. Between 2002 and 2009, reports came in from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand—all along the course of the Ganga. It's not clear exactly how widespread the problem is.
• In Uttar Pradesh, 20 districts along the river report arsenic contamination in the groundwater. Of the 15 impacted districts in Bihar, 12 are located along the river.
• In many districts, the level of arsenic is as high as 3 mg per litre, way above the World Health Organisation's acceptable safe level of 0.01 mg per litre and even the safe level of 0.05 mg per litre set by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
• The elevated levels of arsenic in groundwater is caused largely by natural process and partly due to anthropogenic activities like application of fertilisers, burning coal, leaching from coal ash tailings and from mining.
• Increased usage of coal usage—the average arsenic content in Indian coal ranges from 0.15 to 0.40 mg per kg, way above acceptable limits.
• Leaching of arsenic during coal washing and combustion leading to ash contaminates water bodies. Add to this the overuse of fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, which often contain high dosages of arsenic.
• Arsenic contamination also fit with the increased use of fertilisers introduced in the mid-seventies. Arsenic contamination of groundwater is not limited to the Ganga river basin.
• But given that the Indo-Gangetic plain is the chief food producing area, including the fish obtained from the river, the problem takes on a larger magnitude. The Indian Council for Agriculture Research says that 90% of the groundwater in arsenic-affected areas is used for irrigation, meaning food crops grown in the area and sold outside carry with them doses of arsenic, making the problem more widespread.

By: Vishal