According to a study conducted in 33 VDCs of the district but, people in 15 VDCs are at a high risk of drinking arsenic-laced water. [break]
According to the survey conducted by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), people in Swathi , Sunawal ,Ramnagar, Panchanagar, Sukrauli, Harpur, Manari, Tilakpur, Bedauli, Jahada, Srawal, Pratappur, Somani, Amraut VDCs and Ramgram Municipality have no choice but to drink the toxic water.
The survey also found 150 people suffering from the health problems caused by drinking arsenic-laced water. JICA had brought in doctors from Bangladesh to conduct a health camp in the arsenic affected areas of the district.
Kuldeep Shrestha, engineer at Drinking Water and Sanitation Division Office, said high concentration of arsenic in water may cause cancer and other health complications.
“As many as 175,000 people are exposed to arsenic-laced water in the district. We have provided arsenic-free water tube wells for 60,000 people,” he further informed.
Water with 50 parts per billion (ppb) arsenic levels (0.05 milligram/ liter) is drinkable. However, the arsenic levels in some VDCs in the district have been found to be more than 1000 PPB, according to Ram Prasad Kafle, Chief of the Drinking Water and Sanitation Office, Nawalparasi.
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