One-fifth of Indians drink water that contains lethal levels of arsenic, reveals a report having calculations based on information of water resources ministry.
It is learned more than seventy million people in Uttar Pradesh have been exposed to the arsenic contaminated water and across the country it accounts to about 239 people.
World Health Organization (WHO) has long before warned drinking of such contaminated water may lead to arsenic poisoning and this may result with skin, kidney, lung and bladder cancer.
The census adds 65 percent of the population in Assam, which accounts to about 21 million people, drinks such arsenic contaminated water. In Bihar and West Bengal the pathetic figure is at 60 percent and 44 percent respectively.
The calculation has taken into account only such households which are dependent on groundwater like tubewells, wells and hand pumps.
Latest evidence has found link between drinking of such contaminated water with onset of hypertension, diabetes and reproductive disorders as well, if believed to a document of WHO.
The least effected states are Rajasthan and Odisha. The states which have no reported arsenic contamination are Maharashtra, Kerala, Goa, Uttarakhand, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.
