This page
is dedicated for the Rural poor Bangladeshis, who are
fighting for
safe drinking water.
Groundwater in Bangladesh is contaminated with Arsenic, which occurs naturally in alluvial and deltaic sediments.
The first official detection in 1993 and subsequent confirmation after 1995 of high levels of Arsenic in numerous shallow and deep wells in various parts of the country has raised serious health concerns. Recent investigations, though incomplete, confirm that the occurrence of Arsenic in groundwater is more widespread than assumed at first and that it already affects a large number of people. The latest statistics available on the arsenic contamination in groundwater indicates that 59 districts around 85% of the total area of Bangladesh and about 75 million people are at risk. It is estimated that at least 1.2 million people are exposed to Arsenic poisoning with 24 of millions potentially exposed.
The reported number of patients seriously affected by arsenic in drinking water has now risen to 8500 demands extensive research in this field.
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