Each and every tube wells at Khordatalian village of Kaliganj upazila is contaminated with excessive arsenic. Most of the people of the village still consuming the red marked tube wells ignoring the warning of the department of public health engineering (DPHE).
The DPHE had so far detected 18 arsenicosis affected, while the number might be increased if fresh checking is conducted, said the villagers. He villagers ignoring the warning by the DPHE have been consuming the red marked tube wells. But the department had installed eight deep tube wells to remove the water crisis in the village.
Locals said some Helal Uddin, 75, had died of arsenicosis last year, while the DPHE claimed that he had died of old age complications. Arsenicosis affected Islam Uddin of Khordatalian said they had been consuming water from their four-fathers’ traditional well. In 2006 some of the villagers were affected by an unknown disease. Later in 2009, the NGO activists examined them and started providing treatment as various skin related diseases were spreading over the bodies of the villagers.
But the treatment was stopped for an unknown reason that threw them in troubles. Freedom fighter Joynal Mandal said the NGO activists visited the village about 16 years back and put red marks on the head of the tube wells detecting them as excessive arsenic contaminated.
The NGO forum for drinking water supply and sanitation detected 18 arsenicosis patients in 2009 including Helal Uddin (now dead), Yusuf Mandal, Abdul Majid Munshi, Mainuddin Mia, his wife Sakhina Begum, Hasan Mandal, Islam Mandal, his son Liakat Ali, Saleha Begum, Jarina Begum, Abdul Barek Mandal, Jitendra Biswas, his wife Ahalla Biswas, Shahidul Biswas and Nidhir Malakar.
Number of affected people might be increased if a fresh detecti0on is conducted, the villagers said. Jamal union parishad chairman Modasser Hossain when contacted said the DPHE had installed eight deep tube wells sin Khordatalian village of his union which was inadequate to met the demand of the villagers.
The innocent ad poor villagers are now compelled to drink the water from the “red marked” tube wells ignoring the DPHR warning for not to use the water. Most of the tube wells of Natopara village, adjacent to Khordatalian are containing excessive arsenic in the ir water, the UP chairman said.
DPHE Kaliganj office sources said they found 119 non deep tube wells in the village in 2003 which were containing contaminated water. To remove the sufferings of the villagers they installed eight deep tube wells immediately after the interventions. Assistant engineer of the DPHE at Kaliganj Jesmine Ara when contacted said they found 161 arsenicosis patients in the upazila in a survey in 2003. The number might be changed now.
Upazila health and family welfare officer (UHFPO) of Kaliganj Sharmin Sultana when contacted said continuous consumption of arsenic contaminated water might cause arsenicosis in long term. But it might be cured if someone consumes adequate fresh water, nutritious foods and vegetables regularly.
