Arsenic poisoning in the water is a bigconcern for India and many other developing countries. In India itself 13 states are suffering from this issue,including Assam, WB, Bihar, UP, Punjab, Haryana in the descending order. Apart from short-term health issues,Arsenic causes Arsenicosis and Skin Cancer.
People living in such habitats are fully aware about drinkingArsenic free water as they face short-term as well as long-term heath issues on a daily basis. Despite acute poverty,people living in this region are compelled to buy water for drinking purpose. There is certainly high demand for asolution to provide Arsenic free, safe, pure, and healthy drinking water.
239 million people across 151districts in 13 states in India drink water that is poisoned by Arsenic. Contamination level as well as the geographicalspread of Arsenic poisoning has been growing. There are many countries in Africa and South East Asia which aresuffering from health issues due to Arsenic Poisoning.
The contamination of groundwater by arsenic in Bangladesh is one of the largest poisoning of a population in the history. At present the contamination has affected 59 of the 64 districts in Bangladesh where arsenic levels have been found to be above the nationally (50 ppb) accepted limit. It is estimated that about 125 million inhabitants of Bangladesh between 35 million and 77 million are at risk of drinking contaminated water (IAEA, 2002)
There are many habitats in North-East states badly affected with Arsenic. In Assam itself, Arsenic has been detected in 24 of the 33 districts in the state. Many habitats in couple of districts in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura and Nagaland have also been reported for Arsenic contamination.
According to data presented by the Public Health Engineering Minister Rihon Daimary to the state assembly in October 2018, groundwater in 6,881 areas in 24 districts (of the total 33) of the state is contaminated with arsenic.
Maximum arsenic content was observed in Jorhat (Titabor, Dhakgorah, Selenghat and Moriani Block), Dhemaji (Sissiborgoan and Dhemaji Block), Golaghat district (Podumani Block) and Lakhimpur (Boginodi, Lakhimpur Block) in Assam; West Tripura (Triania Block), Dhalai (Salema Block) and North Tripura (Dharmanagar Block) districts in Tripura, Thuobal (Kakching Block) in Manipur and Dibang valley (Midland) in Arunachal Pradesh.
The districts affected by arsenic contamination include Baska (44 habitations), Barpeta (119), Bongaigaon (47), Cachar (139), Darrang (105), Dhemaji (43), Dhubri (81), Goalpara (14), Golaghat (278) and Hailakandi (28), Jorhat (364), Karimganj (66), Morigaon (30), North Lakhimpur (54), Nagaon (one), Nalbari (238), Sivasagar (109) and Sonitpur (109). Many of the habitats in Kamrup, Dibrugarh, Kokrajhar and Tinsukia districts are also contaminated with Arsenic Poisoning.
In Tripura, West Tripura (Jriania Block), Dhalai (Salema Block) and North Tripura, (Dharmanagar Block) districts are majorly affected with Arsenic Poisoning.
In Manipur, Thoubal district (Kakching Block) is majorly affected with Arsenic Poisoning.
In Nagaland, some of the habitats in Mokokchung and Mon districts are majorly affected with Arsenic Poisoning.
In Arunachal Pradesh, some of habitats in Papumpare, East Kameng, West Kameng, Lower Subansiri, Tirap and Dibang Valley districts are majorly affected with Arsenic Poisoning.