Bengal, Bihar worst hit by arsenic contamination, Centre tells NGT

West Bengal and Bihar are impacted the most by arsenic contamination of groundwater, the Centre has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The tribunal is hearing the issue of rice being susceptible to arsenic contamination because it absorbs more of the toxic semi-metallic element 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 expert member A Senthil Vel noted that the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare had filed its reply after seeking inputs from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

“West Bengal and Bihar are reported to be most affected by arsenic contamination of groundwater irrigation by contaminated groundwater is the major route for arsenic entry into agricultural soil which ultimately leads to its entry into the food chain,” the Centre said in its reply.

There can be a “significant build-up” of the toxic element in rice as it is a water-intensive crop, the reply stated. “The transport of arsenic-contaminated rice grain grown in arsenic-endemic areas to non-endemic sites and consequent dietary intakes will also spread arsenic exposure in the non-endemic population,” it noted.

The tribunal noted that, according to the reply, the distribution of arsenic content in plant parts generally followed the order of roots, stems and leaves. “The edible parts of leafy (spinach, fenugreek etc.) and underground vegetables (beet, radish etc.) contained much higher arsenic as compared to vegetables with fruit as edible part (brinjal, beans, ladies’ finger, tomato etc.),” it noted.

The reply also suggested various remedial measures to minimise the effect of arsenic in the soil-plant system.