23.9 Cr people in India consume Arsenic contaminated water

NewDelhi Dec 24: Is your Drinking water Safe?Please test before drinking because A recently released report based on the Information submitted by water resources ministry in Loksabha suggests that About 239 million people (23.9 Cr) across 153 districts in 21 states drink water which is highly contaminated with Arsenic a poisonous chemical.

The report also states that
# 65% of Assam's population or about 21 million people are consuming Poisonous water
# 60% in Bihar and 44% in West Bengal are drinking chemical contaminated water
# Uttar Pradesh has the largest number of people i.e over 70 million, exposed to arsenic-contaminated water.

World Health Organisation has warned that long-term intake of Arsenic contaminated water leads to arsenic poisoning or arsenicosis, with cancer of skin, bladder, kidney or lung, or diseases of the skin (color changes, and hard patches on palms and soles), or blood vessels of legs and feet.

# States such as Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Goa, Tripura and Arunachal, Odisha and Rajasthan are safe and didn't report any contamination of water.

Experts said that "the main source of Arsenic in drinking water is arsenic-rich rocks through which the water filters. It may also occur because of mining or industrial activities. Drinking the water, crops irrigated with it, and food prepared with contaminated water are the sources of exposure. Fish, shellfish, meat, poultry, dairy products, and cereals could also be dietary sources of arsenic. "