High levels of arsenic has been detected in tube wells of 54 primary schools of Moulvibazar sadar upazila. Due to arsenic in the water, scarcity of pure drinking water has been prevailed in these schools.
Moulvibazar sadar upazila's Department of Public Health Engineering said they had recieved approval to install tube wells at 54 government primary schools in sadar upazila under the project titled - Primary Education Development Programme 3.
DPHE has installed deep tube wells at the primary schools of Lama-Kagabola, Satbag, Ratanpur, Sathal and Basuriya in January this yesr. After installing the wells, the water was tested in the laboratory of Sylhet regional DPHE centre and a dangerous level of arsenic was found. After the test, DPHE postponeded the remaing PEDP3 work.
Md Maruf Ahmed, Moulvibazar sadar upazila primary education officer, said "There was a scarcity of safe drinking water in more than 50 primary schools of the sadar upazila." He added that he has informed the higher authorities about this matter.
Dhananjoy Kumar Das, sample analyzer of Sylhet regional DPHE center's laboratory, said the safety level of arsenic in water was 0.05 milligram per liter. However, in case of the school tube wells, the rate was higher than normal.
Md Atiqur Rahman, sub-assistant engineer of DPHE, Moulvibazar sadar upazila office, said installation of tubewells in primary schools of sadar upazila has been postponed after arsenic was detected. They have sent a proposal to the DPHE head office in this regard.
