Arsenic menace haunts thousands in Meherpur

Arsenic menace haunts thousands in Meherpur

Thousands of people in three upazilas of the district have been passing their days amid arsenic menace which has been detected in underground water of the district. More than hundred people died of arsenic  related diseases of whom at least 50 at Alampur village under sadar upazila and Bholadanga village under Gangni upazila, according a source.

Meherpur bordering West Bengal, India has been indentified as arsenic prone area. Thousands of people of the district have been attacked with arsenic related diseases. People of the arsenic invaded areas are drinking arsenic contaminated water knowing its bad consequences due to lack of safe drinking water. The situation is alarming at village Alampur, Amjhupi, Beltolapara, Buripota, Ujalpur, Subidpur under Sadar Upazila, Bholadanga, Tentulbaria under Gangni upazila and Taranogor and Joypur villages under Mujibnagar upazila. According to information of Health Department there are 2 thousands 79 arsenic  related patients  in the district. They do not have information or data  whether anybody died of arsenic related diseases. Locals and public representatives of the area said, more than hundred people died being attacked with arsenic related diseases and suffering not less than 10 thousands.  

During the time of visiting the areas found that some ring-wells were installed by Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) and a few Non-government Organizatins (NGO) installed some water treatment plants which are defunct now for different reasons.

DPHE source said, before ninety’s people of the areas did not have any conception about arsenic. They gathered idea when went to the physicians with diseases specially skin and after hearing propaganda via mass media. 

A meeting on arsenic was held at village Alampur under Amjhupi Union of sadar upazila by an NGO Manob Unnayan Kendra (MUK) on 27 July from where this correspondent gathered untold sufferings of hundreds of arsenic related disease attacked people. The meeting disclosed that 95 percent hand pump tube-wells are arsenic contaminated of   15 villages under three upazilas of the district. In which alarming situation is prevailing at village Alampur under sadar upazila. There are 460 families with 2175 inmates have been  drinking arsenic contaminated water finding no other alternatives. In the meanwhile 18 people of the village already expired being attacked with arsenic related diseases.

One Sukjan Nessa of the village Alampur attacked with deadly disease cancer after being attacked with arsenic and gangrene in her left leg. Due to pecuniary condition she did not go for any treatment. Nobody would come forward to her as stench odor had been emitting  from the affected place. The leg became decomposed. During the time, MUK a human rights organization came forward to her with environment specialist Dr. J. T. A Chowdhury Tarikh from Dhaka who found the heart burning situation and asked MUK to arrange immediate treatment giving financial support from his own.  She was sent to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital on 25 April, 2017 and on experiment her foot amputated in order to prevent the cancer germs. Now she has been undergoing treatment  staying in her village home. She is leading a subhuman life presently. She has none to take care and earning member except a mentally disabled daughter. She sought help from the government and philanthropists of the society.

Mentionable, there are many severe patients in the village. It has been learnt that Bazlu son of Mofizuddin, Siddik son of Arzel, Sakem and Asadul  sons of Sadek of village Bholadanga Ali Hossain, Moni, Palu sons of  late Mohasin Ali, Elias younger son of Palu, Razzak brother of Mohasin and his son Mozaffar and Rocky, sister Renufa, Asad and Razzak son of Awlad Hossain and Asad’s wife Jhunu, Kafiron Nessa wife of Kalam his daughter Rashma Khatun, Elahi Baksha, Asad Ali, son of Asad Ali Minarul and six sons of Kalachand Mondal viz Jahir Hossain, Ektar Hossain, Muktar Hossain and Ramzan Ali, Azeda Khatun wife of Ramzan including 20 more people of village Alampur  died of arsenic related diseases during last 10 years. Among the attacked patients, Abul Hossain son Mollick, Jalar uddin son of Panchu, Abul Hossain son Johiruddin, Jibrail Hossain son Pachu Mondol, Ismail Hossain, Salimuddin, Rahed Ali including more than hundred people left their hope of lives  as no change is found after medical treatment. Many villagers informed that the DPHE failed to arrange safe drinking water and the Health Department does not give and advices. People are not getting any fruitful result after treatment as there is no arsenic free water.

Rina Khatun a housewife of village Alampur with melancholy said that the people of neighboring villages do not establish any relationship with the people of Alampur village for arsenic menace. Meanwhile, some proposed  settle marriages  have been dismissed. Some newly married  wives came to husband’s house for  the first day of wedding and  left laws house did not turn up again due to arsenic menace.  

Nurul Kabir, Executive Engineer, DPHE said that some ring-wells installed under their Rural Water Supply Project for safe drinking water. Once upon a time World Bank would help for the same but at present we  are not getting  their help. He added that they will arrange water treatment plant as soon as possible.

G K M Shamszzaman, Civil Surgeon said that on information we made list of arsenic attacked people and supplied  medicine. It was done with the assistance of a foreign organization. The program closed that is why we could not work properly. But we used to give primary treatment who  come us. Mentionable,  the sentient people of the society did not agree with the civil surgeon as he does not stay here in Meherpur. Off and on he comes here.