Arsenic In Assam’s Water Raises Serious Concerns Over Heart Disease

GUWAHATI: The Central Ground Water Board has detected arsenic levels above the safety threshold of 0.01 mg/L in 19 districts across Assam. These districts include Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Hailakandi, Karimganj, Cachar, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Goalpara, Dhubri, Nalbari, Nagaon, Morigaon, Kamrup, Darrang, and Baksa.

Arsenic is a deadly toxic element that accumulates in the body over time, mainly through drinking water.

A report by a Parliamentary Committee on Research-Based Education and Anusandhan Scenario in Sciences and Related Fields has also raised serious concerns regarding the widespread contamination of groundwater with arsenic, fluoride, and other heavy metals across different states.

The Parliamentary Committee has recommended that the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Health Research, and the Department of Higher Education emphasize and fund research initiatives targeting the removal of arsenic, fluoride, and other heavy metals from groundwater.

With a high contamination of arsenic in groundwater, Assam is one of the states that will benefit the most from such research and initiatives.

Many districts in Assam have arsenic concentrations surpassing the safety threshold, implying serious health risks to millions of people who rely on groundwater as their main source of drinking water.

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