20 million people in Bangladesh drinking water contaminated with arsenic, says HRW

As many as 20 million people in Bangladesh are still drinking water contaminated with arsenic, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says.

The New York-based NGO has accused the government of failing to “adequately respond” to the problem and provide medical help to the victims.

The rights body made the observation at a press conference held at the National Press Club on Wednesday morning. 

HRW Senior Researcher Richard Pearshouse at the press conference said, “Approximately 20 years after initially coming to international attention, an estimated 20 million people in Bangladesh – mostly rural poor – still drink water contaminated over the national standard (50 micrograms per litre).

“Bangladesh isn’t taking basic, obvious steps to get arsenic out of the drinking water of millions of its rural poor,” he added.

In the 111-page report, titled “Nepotism and Neglect”, the HRW claimed that an estimated 43,000 people die each year from arsenic-related illness in Bangladesh.

“The government identifies people with arsenic-related illnesses primarily via skin lesions, although the vast majority of those with arsenic-related illnesses don’t develop them.

“Those exposed are at significant risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and lung disease as a result, but many receive no health care at all,” the report said.

Pearshouse said, to prepare the report the HRW interviewed 134 people, including those suspected of having arsenic-related health conditions, and caretakers of government wells in five rural villages, as well as government officials and staff of nongovernmental organisations.

It also analysed data regarding approximately 125,000 government water points installed between 2006 and 2012, he said.

“Arsenic is found in water from hand-pumped, mostly shallow, tube wells across huge swaths of rural Bangladesh,” Pearshouse said.

“Although deep wells can often reach groundwater of better quality, the government doesn’t make it a priority to install them in areas where the risk of arsenic contamination is relatively high,” the senior researcher added.

The report further stated that since 2006 the urgency of well screening also dissipated.

The HRW said the World Bank, which funded the installation of approximately 13,000 rural wells from 2004 to 2010, should promptly and thoroughly investigate whether they were contaminated.

“If found so they should replace or rehabilitate them.

“Bangladesh’s international donors have an important role to play, and they should do more,” it suggested.

“Bangladesh should not allow national and local politicians to divert these life-saving public goods to supporters and allies,” Pearshouse said.

“Contaminated government tube wells urgently need to be replaced or rehabilitated, before people lose what little faith they have left in the government’s commitment to provide safe water.”

HRW also found a serious lack of monitoring and quality control in arsenic mitigation projects.

“In a small but significant number of cases, some new government wells are themselves contaminated with arsenic above the national standard.

“A Human Rights Watch analysis of government data found that 5 percent of the wells reviewed were contaminated above the Bangladesh standard,” the report said.

Pearshouse said, “The government acts as though the problem has been mostly solved, but unless the government and Bangladesh’s international donors do more, millions of Bangladeshis will die from preventable arsenic-related diseases.”