Arsenic in rat hole water

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Aug. 20: Examination of the sample of hot water collected from the rat hole in a paddy field at Kailashpur village here by experts from the Geological Survey of India Mr Asim Mukherjee, a chemist and Mr Chobentheng Yanthan, geologist has revealed a high concentration of arsenic in it. The district magistrate, Mr Chittaranjan Das, said he wanted to know about sulphur contamination in the hot water collected from the rat hole. Mr Das said: “The GSI experts have stated about arsenic contamination in the water sample collected from the rat hole.” Ms Kasturi Sengupta, the BDO of Old Malda block, said the GSI experts did not find the water temperature hot after digging up another hole near to the rat hole, from which the sample water was collected. She said the temperature of the water was cool in the nearby area. “The GSI team also collected water sample and soil from the spot and said that their composition was such that it turned ground water temperature in the area hot,” Ms Sengupta added. If the report of arsenic contamination in the sample water in this area is positive, a fresh survey would be conducted here by the public health engineering department with a view to find out alternative source of drinking water, said an administrative officer.