International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development-– Volume 3 Issue 2, Mar-Apr 2020 Available at www.ijsred.com RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS Arsenic Contamination in West Bengal: Its Present & Future Koustav Dutta*, Dr. Malay Kanti Ghosh** *Student (UG), Dept. of Civil Engineering, Purulia Government Engineering College, West Bengal, India [email protected] ** Associate Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Purulia Government Engineering College, West Bengal, India [email protected] ---------------------------------------- ************************ ---------------------------------- Abstract: Arsenic contamination in ground water and related health hazards have become a matter of serious concern in many countries of the world. A number of large aquifers in the world have been identified with problems of high levels of Arsenic concentration in ground water. Arsenic contamination in ground water of West Bengal in the range of 0.001-3.20 mg/l occurs in isolated patches, predominantly spreading over the 79 blocks in eight districts of the state. Apart from these, newer locations spreading over a few blocks of the North Bengal districts have also tested positive for the presence of Arsenic more recently. At present about 162.6 lakh people (35.48% of the total population of the State) occupying 17533 habitats live in the risk zone of potential threat in terms of Arsenic related diseases in the future. Central Ground Water Board and the Government of West Bengal have made successful endeavours to provide arsenic free drinking water to the entire population in the arsenic infested area. Arsenic free deeper aquifers have been explored by CGWB .Three aquifer systems have been identified within 100 mbgl, 120 – 160 mbgl and 200 –250 mbgl. The top aquifer within 100 mbgl is mostly arseniferous, whereas both the deeper aquifers which are separated by a thick clay (>10 m) from the overlying aquifers, capable of yielding 5 to 20 metric liters of water per second, are arsenic free. The paper thoroughly discusses the present day scenario of Arsenic concentration in the various blocks of the state of West Bengal and also emphasizes for the adoption of suitable advance techniques for dilution of Arsenic concentration in groundwater to move ahead by a step in the eradication of the lethal element Arsenic from the groundwater. Keywords — Arsenic contamination in West Bengal, Combating the arsenic crisis, Population at risk, Sub-surface geology ---------------------------------------- ************************ ---------------------------------- contamination. Apart from the aforementioned I. INTRODUCTION districts, more recent studies have revealed the The occurrence of Arsenic in ground water was first presence of Arsenic at significant levels in the reported in 1980 in West Bengal in India. In West groundwater in the various districts of North Bengal Bengal, 79 blocks in 8 districts have Arsenic like Coochbehar, Dinajpur (N) and Dinajpur (S). beyond the permissible limit of 0.05 mg/l. The most affected areas are on the eastern side of Bhagirathi Excessive intake of arsenic in human body causes River in the districts of Malda, Murshidabad, health hazards that are manifested in the form of Nadia, 24 Parganas (N) and 24 Parganas (S) and arsenic poisoning. The main source of poisoning is also on the western side of the river spreading over through drinking water. The limit of Arsenic in the districts of Howrah, Hooghly and Burdwan (E drinking water standard as per BIS (Bureau Of & W). The occurrence of Arsenic in ground water Indian Standards) is 0.01 mg/L. (IS 10500 -1993 is mainly in the aquifers up to 100 m depth. The Amended 2003). However affected West Bengal deeper aquifers are free from Arsenic ISSN : 2581-7175 ©IJSRED: All Rights are Reserved Page 659 International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development-– Volume 3 Issue 2, Mar-Apr 2020 Available at www.ijsred.com State follows the earlier standard as per BIS (1993) Methodology: of maximum permissible value 0.05 mg/L (for The various informations collected has been detection) and 0.01 mg/L (for removal). There is no presented in a systematic way in the form of charts, immediate effect on the health of the consumer, if maps and other tools of statistics to get a detailed small doses are consumed. But due to slow insight into the matter to ultimately discuss accumulation of arsenic from continuous or thoroughly the effective measures against the repeated exposures, various symptoms may appear problem of Arsenic contamination in groundwater in the body of the consumer. Both, geogenic towards the end of the study. (natural) and anthropogenic sources of arsenic contribute to the enrichment of the element in groundwater. At present the contamination has been predominantly found in the eight districts of West Bengal as tabulated below: Table 1: Arsenic affected districts of West Bengal Districts Arsenic Level in groundwater in mg/l Hooghly, Howrah, Coochbehar, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, 24 0.01-0.05 Parganas (N), and 24 parganas (S) Hooghly, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, 24 Parganas (N), and 24 >0.05 parganas (S) II. MATERIALS & METHODOLOGY Fig. 1 : Map of West Bengal Study Area: The entire study has been restricted to the various III. RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS districts of the state of West Bengal at the block level. The region selected is small so as to The level of Arsenic detected in the various understand the condition of the groundwater of the locations within a particular affected block has been particular region in a great detail and interpret its obtained and the location at which the groundwater condition in the near future with better accuracy. has the maximum level of Arsenic in it only has been considered to be the maximum level of Data Source: Arsenic present in that block. All the data and informations used in the study are based on the various reports and publications of The contamination situations in the various Arsenic Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) published affected districts are hereby discussed one by one in from time to time. details: ISSN : 2581-7175 ©IJSRED: All Rights are Reserved Page 660 International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development-– Volume 3 Issue 2, Mar-Apr 2020 Available at www.ijsred.com Burdwan (E & W) Howrah Table 1: Details of Arsenic Level in Groundwater for the Table 4: Details of Arsenic Level in Groundwater for the affected Blocks of Burdwan (E & W) District affected Blocks of Howrah District Block Location Arsenic Level in Block Location Arsenic Level in groundwater in mg/l groundwater in mg/l Arsenic Level in groundwater 0.01 – 0.05 mg/l Arsenic Level in groundwater 0.01 – 0.05 mg/l Purbasthali I Hematpur 0.03 Domjur Ramrajatala 0.01 Purbasthali II Chatani 0.05 Arsenic Level in groundwater > 0.05 mg/l Arsenic Level in groundwater > 0.05 mg/l --- --- --- --- --- --- Malda Coochbehar Table 5: Details of Arsenic Level in Groundwater for the Table 2: Details of Arsenic Level in Groundwater for the affected Blocks of Malda District affected Blocks of Coochbehar District Block Location Arsenic Level in Block Location Arsenic Level in groundwater in groundwater in mg/l mg/l Arsenic Level in groundwater 0.01 – 0.05 mg/l Arsenic Level in groundwater 0.01 – 0.05 mg/l Haldibari Dhaprahat 0.04 English Bazar Phulbaria 0.03 Harishchandrapur I Tulsihata 0.02 Arsenic Level in groundwater > 0.05 mg/l Kaliachak I Nauda 0.04 Kaliachak I I Muthabari 0.05 --- --- --- Kaliachak I II Krishnapur 0.03 Manikchak Mathurapur 0.05 Old Malda Malda 0.02 Hooghly Ratua I Bhaluka 0.02 Ratua II Paranpur 0.04 Table 3: Details of Arsenic Level in Groundwater for the affected Blocks of Hooghly District Arsenic Level in groundwater > 0.05 mg/l Block Location Arsenic Level in groundwater in mg/l English Bazar Milky 0.15 Kaliachak I Khaschandpur 0.302 Arsenic Level in groundwater 0.01 – 0.05 mg/l Kaliachak II Raipara 0.078 Kaliachak III Jalalditola 0.115 Srirampur- Uttarpara 0.04 Manikchak Damodarpur 0.131 Uttarpara Ratua I Baharal 0.138 Balagarh Jirat 0.02 Ratua II Paranpur 0.065 Kalitala Arsenic Level in groundwater > 0.05 mg/l Gajole Ghatsol 0.082 Balagarh Milangarh 0.052 ISSN : 2581-7175 ©IJSRED: All Rights are Reserved Page 661 International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development-– Volume 3 Issue 2, Mar-Apr 2020 Available at www.ijsred.com Murshidabad Nadia Table 6: Details of Arsenic Level in Groundwater for the Table 7: Details of Arsenic Level in Groundwater for the affected Blocks of Murshidabad District affected Blocks of Nadia District Block Location Arsenic Level in Block Location Arsenic Level in groundwater in groundwater in mg/l mg/l Arsenic Level in groundwater 0.01 – 0.05 mg/l Arsenic Level in groundwater 0.01 – 0.05 mg/l Berhampur Daulatabad 0.02 Chakdah Narvtipara 0.03 Beldanga I Swarupnagar 0.04 Chapra Maharajpur 0.03 Beldanga II Debpur 0.04 Hanskhali Khamarsimulia 0.05 Bhagawangola I Bahadurpur 0.04 Haringhata Subarnapur 0.04 Bharatpur I Gangedda 0.01 Kaliganj Kaliganj 0.04 Bharatpur II Khandagram 0.02 Karimpur I Madhyagopalpur 0.05 Domkal Domkal 0.03 Karimpur II Narayanpur 0.04 Farakka Chaukigram 0.04 Krishnaganj Gede 0.02 Hariharpara Hariharpara 0.05 Krishnanagar I Bhaluka 0.05 Jalangi Sagarpara 0.01 Krishnanagar II Chowgacha 0.03 Kandi Gokarna 0.04 Nabadwip Mukundapur 0.04 Lalgola Pithtala 0.01 Nakashipara Gachha 0.05 Mur -Jiaganj Ranjitpara 0.02 Ranaghat I Birnagar 0.02 Nabagram Gurah -Pashla 0.03 Ranaghat II Cooper’s Camp 0.04 Noada Dubtala Bazar 0.02 Shantipur Kulia 0.03