Abstract
Abstract
More than 10 million people living in India face health risks from arsenic-contaminated groundwater. Arsenic originated naturally in the earth's crust in the Himalayan region and was deposited in aquifers for thousands of years. Arsenic exposure is taking place due to intensive use of groundwater in irrigation and household use (drinking and cooking). Although a better understanding of the problem has been arrived at, and a vast knowledge database is available, there has been no systematic effort to address the wider problem or to adopt truly equitable solutions. The author conducted the study in some arsenic-affected villages in West Bengal, the most severely affected state in India, and analyzed the existing research and policy documents in order to examine the extent of the suffering of the people and to explore the possible sustainable solutions appropriate in the local context. The study has established the role of socioeconomic disparities, governance, policy, and their complex relationships in the incidence, magnitude and consequences of chronic arsenicosis.