West Bengal, Bihar most impacted by arsenic contamination: Centre tells NGT

Nationwide Inexperienced Tribunal (NGT). File
| Picture Credit score: Sushil Kumar Verma

West Bengal and Bihar are impacted probably the most by arsenic contamination of groundwater, the Centre has knowledgeable the Nationwide Inexperienced Tribunal (NGT).

The tribunal is listening to the problem of rice being prone to arsenic contamination as a result of it absorbs extra of the poisonous semi-metallic component from water and soil. Earlier, it sought a reply from the Centre on it.

In an order dated December 16, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and professional member A Senthil Vel famous that the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare had filed its reply after looking for inputs from the Indian Council of Agricultural Analysis (ICAR).

“States of West Bengal and Bihar are reported to be most affected by arsenic contamination of groundwater irrigation by contaminated groundwater is the key route for arsenic entry into agricultural soil which in the end results in its entry into the meals chain,” the Centre stated in its reply.

There could be a “vital build-up” of the poisonous component in rice as it’s a water-intensive crop, the reply said.

“Transport of arsenic-contaminated rice grain grown in arsenic-endemic areas to non-endemic websites and consequent dietary intakes may also unfold arsenic publicity within the non-endemic inhabitants,” it famous.

The tribunal famous that, based on the reply, the distribution of arsenic content material in plant elements typically adopted the order of roots, stems and leaves.

“The edible elements of leafy (spinach, fenugreek and so forth.) and underground greens (beet, radish and so forth.) contained a lot larger arsenic as in comparison with greens with fruit as edible half (brinjal, beans, women’ finger, tomato and so forth.). Usually, fruit/grain of vegetation confirmed much less accumulation of arsenic in comparison with root, stem and leaf,” it famous.

The reply additionally instructed varied remedial measures to minimise the impact of arsenic within the soil-plant system.

These embrace changing water-intensive rice varieties with different much less water-intensive crops and comparatively arsenic-tolerant rice varieties, rising non-edible and leguminous crops through the dry season within the hotspot areas, utility of biochar (modified charcoal produced from burning biomass sources), and elevated use of inexperienced manures and utility of silicate fertilisers.

The reply additionally instructed different remedial measures, comparable to storing arsenic-contaminated groundwater in ponds and subsequent dilution with rainwater together with conjunctive use of floor and floor water to dilute the arsenic content material.

The tribunal then impleaded the ICAR as a respondent and sought its response. It’ll hear the matter subsequent on April 15.