Arsenic contamination is spreading fast in 12 states and beyond !!
Week [23-29 November]
-The committee of secretaries in a report to the government has estimated that 7.04 crore people have been affected, with around three lakh people having arsenic-related diseases in the country.
-More damning is the research done by the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), showing that 90% of arsenic-laden water in affected areas was used for irrigation, with the study finding its traces in vegetables covering farm-rich states like Haryana and Punjab.
The council found high quantity of arsenic in potato, brinjal, arum, amaranth, radish, lady finger, and cauliflower, while a relatively low level of accumulation was found in beans, green chilli, tomato, bitter guard, lemon and turmeric.