The Daily Star March 31, 2003 


      13,000 down with arsenicosis



      Staff Correspondent


      About 13,000 people are down with arsenicosis and 3.6 crore more (36 
      million) are at risk of contracting the disease for drinking contaminated 
      tubewell water, activists said.
      The arsenic affected people are not even aware of the disease, said Dr 
      Abul Hasnat Milton, arsenic cell chief of NGO Forum for Drinking Water 
      Supply and Sanitation.
      He was addressing a Meet the Press on 'Arsenic Mitigation in Bangladesh' 
      organised by the NGOs for Arsenic Information and Supply Unit (NAISU) in 
      the Press Club yesterday.
      Dr Milton said people in the rural areas did not consider the disease as 
      an important health hazard as it took two to ten years to spread in human 
      body.
      Executive Director of NGO Forum S M A Rashid said everyday 20,000 tonnes 
      of human waste polluted surface water, the alternative source of safe 
      drinking water, due to lack of proper sanitation. 
      He called for closer government and NGO coordination in facing the menace, 
      saying the problem could not be resolved by anyone alone. 
      Timothy J Claydon, country representative of Water Aid Bangladesh, 
      stressed the need for ensuring safe drinking water in the rural areas, 
      adding about 20,000 people died of diarrhoea every year.
      The conference was also addressed by Abdul Motaleb, director of WATSAN 
      partnership project, Shafiqul Islam of UNICEF, Dr Fajlul of the Community 
      Hospital and Sanjoy Mukharjee of NAISU.