The number of arsenic patients has been increasing rapidly in Chandpur for lack of awareness-raising activities and initiatives to install deep tube wells.
Some 8,500 people were detected as arsenicosis patients in eight upazilas of the district at present while a few others have already died suffering from arsenic-related diseases.
Of the upazilas, Shahrasti is the worst-affected where a total of 5,117 people are now affected with arsenic contamination.
Over a decade has passed since the disease had first been discovered, but still many dwellers of the district are unaware of the arsenic menace and its hazardous effects, which poses a serious risk to their health.
Only 7,000 deep tube wells have been set up so far since the first detection of arsenic in the district, many of which have gone out of order.
Locals of some areas alleged that they had repeatedly requested authorities to install deep tube wells in their locality, but their requests have remained unheeded.
In the absence of deep tube wells that would have provided them with arsenic-free water, they are now being compelled to drink arsenic contaminated water, the locals lamented.
A massive 98% of the shallow tube wells have been found affected in Shahrasti upazila alone with water containing arsenic at harmful levels, according to an estimate of Chandpur Public Health Engineering Department.
Most shallow tube wells in other upazilas – especially in Faridganj, Kochua and Hajiganj – are also drawing arsenic-laced groundwater to the surface, the estimate said.
If one deep tube well is allocated for every 100 people, the district needs to install 25,000 deep tube-wells to cater to its 2.5m residents, it pointed out, adding, but the district has only 7000, it fell short of more 18,000 tube wells now.
Sources at the district engineering department said some 40-50 deep tube wells are being installed at each upazila each year that hardly meet the demands.
“We are continuing our campaign at each upazila to raise mass awareness about the arsenic menace. The campaign has improved awareness over the years to a large extent,” said Executive Engineer of Chandpur Public Health Engineering Department Mozaffar Ahmed said.
The official said they knew some 5-7% tube wells of the district had gone out of order, but could not repair them due to lack of government fund.
“Once a deep tube well is set up, the person who applied for it is supposed to look after that. In most of the cases, tube wells became non-functional due to some mechanical problems on their upper parts, which the applicants themselves could mend,” he said.
But if the problems lie at the lower portion of tube wells, Mozaffar said they are then tasked to repair them. However, the repair works sometimes could not be done due to manpower shortage, he acknowledged.
District Civil Surgeon ASM Abdus Sattar Mia said field-level workers continue to visit different areas of the district to offer the backward people advice about arsenic contamination.
“Locals are being advised to drink arsenic-free water and cook their meals with them. In addition, the workers are requesting arsenic patients to eat vegetables more in order to reduce the harmful effects of arsenic,” he said.
