The Daily Star:   Volume 3 Number 864       Thu. February 07, 2002 
 

      Arsenicosis kills in Babuganj of Barisal



      AROOP TALUKDAR, Barisal


      One arsenic affected person named Runu Begum, 32, of West Bhuterdia 
      village in Babuganj upazila of Barisal died on January 13.

      Besides, 132 persons of six unions in Babuganj upazila area of Barisal 
      were identified as arsenicosis, said Jahangir Alam of NGO Forum. Sixty-two 
      patients were identified as arsenicosis in Rahamatpur union of the 
      upazila, he added.

      Dr Abdul Khaleque Sikder, UHFPO, Babuganj said for a long time most people 
      in the area were drinking water from shallow tube-wells which turned a 
      good number of people into arsenicosis. After screening it was found that 
      waters of all the shallow tube-wells were arsenic contaminated.

      Following the findings all 5,040 shallow tube-wells including four deep 
      tube-wells of Babuganj were red-marked and local people were advised not 
      to drink but to use waters of shallow tube-wells only for the purpose of 
      cooking and other household works.

      The Health Department workers searched arsenicosis from house to house in 
      six unions of the upazila for 10 days and set up a weeklong health camp to 
      identify arsenicosis, said Dr Abdul Khaleque. UHFPO of Babuganj.

      In July last year NGO Forum and UNICEF jointly launched a two-year water 
      supply and arsenic mitigation project in which UNICEF provided financial 
      assistance while DPHE provided technical support.

      Dr Sikder said patients were also given antioxident tablets and were 
      advised to drink safe natural and boiled water in such an alarming 
      situation. Motivational and health awareness programmes about the health 
      hazard caused by arsenic poisoning through arsenic contaminated drinking 
      water were also being continued, he added. 

      Dr Saidur Rahman, Civil Surgeon of Barisal when contacted said necessary 
      steps were already taken to control the situation.

      Babuganj upazila of Barisal including 15 other upazilas of different 
      districts in the country were included in an arsenic mitigation programme 
      launched by the Health Department and UNICEF.

      A recent survey report said the only source of drinking water for 1,78,177 
      people in 87 villages of six unions in Babuganj is 4,970 shallow 
      tube-wells.

      However, most of the arsenicosis were found to be farmers, day labourers 
      and housewives under the age group of 30 to 55.

      The number of arsenicosis is increasing since November 2001 when 58 
      arsenicosis were identified.