India - Bathinda Enemies in the water

Bathinda Enemies in the water
Bharat Khanna , Hindustan Times
Mansa , April 25, 2012 Email to Author
Last Updated: 11:08 IST(25/4/2012)
Cancer in Mansa, and fluoride and arsenic contents in the region’s groundwater have shot up together. Many whom the state government had promised aid for treatment died being patient, and the rest continue to wait for systems that will purify water.
The regime supported 73 cancer patients and put 27 in queue. Of the 92 it declined to help, seven died after pleading on and on for assistance. Some were short of papers.

In June 2010, a team from the Centre for Ground Water Board (CGWB) collected samples of drinking water from Bhikhi and Mansa blocks of the district and tested it for only fluoride and arsenic.

In September 2011, it took more than 300 samples and checked for arsenic, lead, zinc, antimony, manganese, cadmium, copper, colour, odour, hydrogen potential, conductivity, chloride, carbonate, bi-carbonate, sulphade, nitrate, fluoride, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium in all five blocks.

Study discredited

The district health department, in its last cancer survey from 2006 to 2011, came out with a report it no longer trusts. Its reason—auxiliary nurses and midwives, and accredited social health activists (ASHA workers) who did the investigation.

Birth defects

At Bakhshiwala in the Budhlada constituency, arsenic and fluoride have not only caused cancer but also birth defects of the physical and mental nature. “The state’s help is an eyewash,” said Sadhu Singh, former sarpanch of Bakhshiwala. “The groundwater at Bakhshiwala is oily, even when the RO water-filter unit is installed.” Arsenic is known to damage the nervous, urinary, and reproductive systems severely.

Harmanjot Kaur (2), Khuspreet Singh (6), Jagdev Kaur (12), Chanranjit Kaur (12), Laddi Singh (19), Veerpal Kaur (20), Satpal Singh (22), Manghu Singh (23), Harmeet Singh (23), Gaganpal Singh (23), Jugraj Singh (24), Amarjit Kaur (25), Major Singh (28), Paramjit Kaur (40), Gurwinder Singh (6), Gurdeep Singh (6), Sukhchain Singh (10), Jaswant Singh (42) and Kala Singh; all from one village, were born with defects....