Arsenic Poisoning
Take measures based on researches
Speakers tell seminar
The data found in different researches on arsenic needs to be integrated, and coordinated efforts should be taken on the basis of it, speakers told a seminar yesterday.
They said there is a large gap between the requirement and allocation regarding the mitigation, which should be removed.
The daylong seminar was organised by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology Alumni Association (BUETAA) at Sheraton Hotel in the city.
State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Yeafes Osman in his speech as the chief guest said the government is very much aware of the arsenic hazards and is taking steps to mitigate arsenic problem.
Chief Engineer Md Nuruzzaman of Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) presented a paper on the government's arsenic mitigation programme.
He said arsenic in Tubewell water was first identified in 1993, and a blanket screening carried out in 270 upazilas shows 29 percent tubewell (about 12 lakh out of 50 lakh) are contaminated by arsenic.
However, the degree of contamination varies from upazila to upazila and even within union, he added.
Nuruzzaman said the major mitigation programmes of the government are awareness building, testing of tubewell water, marking the contaminated and uncontaminated tubewells, providing alternative water supply options and patients identification and management.
The arsenic mitigation options are pond sand filter, rainwater harvesting, ring well, deep tubewell and arsenic removal technology, he said adding that arsenic mitigation committee at local level to be activated to address the arsenic issue.
Several other papers including health effects of arsenic and sustainability of safe water devices were presented at the daylong seminar.
Professor Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, president of BUETAA, chaired the inaugural session of the seminar, which was addressed by Syed Moazzem Hossain, chairman of delta life insurance, Kazi Matin Ahmed of department of geology of Dhaka University.
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