Arsenic poisoning from groundwater in Bangladesh is a national tragedy, posing a massive threat to public health.
About two decades ago, the government of Bangladesh embarked on a large-scale effort to test shallow household wells for arsenic, a geologically occurring contaminant.
Research showed that up to five years later, as many as half of the households reached were drinking only from safe wells.
Costing about $40, filters could be made widely available through subsidies.
This will require several new policy measures that reflect a clear grasp of the arsenic crisis in Bangladesh.
Renewed testing will also provide a foundation for effective targeting of new remedial measures, since the severity of the problem varies greatly, even within a single village, depending on geological and other conditions.
Widen the net The spread of shallow tubewells from the 1980s onwards came in response to high levels of harmful pathogens and other contaminants in surface water.
As households cease to rely for drinking water on tubewells contaminated with arsenic, microbial contamination of alternative water sources will require increased attention.
Redoubled efforts to tackle arsenic thus represent an important opportunity to address multiple health threats through a more holistic approach to water contaminants.
Grease the supply chain Some of the new measures to reduce arsenic contamination have been tested on a pilot basis as part of research projects.

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1469165980608-1’); }); The West Bengal Government is going to soon take up a major project to build drinking water supply pipelines across three districts of Bengal.
The tendering process for selecting the constructors is complete.Lakhs of people in the rural areas of the districts of Bankura, Purba Medinipur and North 24 Parganas will benefit from the project.
In fact, after the project is fully implemented, every household in the three districts will have access to clean drinking water.The Public Health Engineering Department is going to start work on the laying of the pipelines in early 2018.
By 2020, the formidable issue of drinking water scarcity in the remote parts of these three districts will be a matter of the past.
The approximately three-year time period is natural, being a project on such a large scale.The Asian Development Bank is providing financial aid for the project.UNI SJC KK — (UNI) — C-1-1-DL0212-1218896.Xml

FILE – In this May 9, 2015 file photo, boys carry relief supplies to their families who fled fighting in the southern city of Aden, in Taiz, Yemen.
It comes as aid groups say coalition airstrikes are destroying critical infrastructure and that the coalition needs to do more to facilitate the delivery of fuel, food and medicine at Yemeni ports.
(Abdulnasser Alseddik, File/Associated Press) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Yemen was already the poorest country in the Arab world before a Saudi-led coalition went to war with Iran-allied rebels in March 2015 in a failed bid to drive them from the capital and much of the country’s north.
On Monday, Saudi Arabia announced $1.5 billion in new humanitarian aid for Yemen and vowed to expand the capacity of Yemen’s ports to receive fuel, food and medicine, as well as establish “safe passage corridors” to ensure transportation of aid to non-governmental organizations inside Yemen.
The amount pledged represents about half that demanded by the U.N. in its latest humanitarian appeal.
— More than 22 million people, including 11 million children, are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to U.N. officials and the International Committee of the Red Cross — More than 8 million people are totally dependent on food assistance and considered a “step away from famine”, according to the U.N. — An estimated 17.8 million Yemenis are considered “food insecure,” meaning they do not know where their next meal will come from, according to the U.N. — More than 400,000 children are suffering from acute malnutrition, according to the World Food Program — Some 15.7 million Yemenis lack access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation services, according to the ICRC — Some 16.4 million Yemenis lack access to adequate health care, according to the U.N. — Another 24.3 million lack access to public electricity, according to the ICRC — Yemen, a country of 27 million people, imports about 90 percent of its staple food and nearly all of its fuel and medicine, according to the U.N. — Since the start of the war, Human Rights Watch has documented 87 apparently unlawful attacks by the Saudi-led coalition, some of which may amount to war crimes, killing nearly 1,000 civilians and hitting homes, markets, hospitals, schools, and mosques.
— The price of petrol, diesel and cooking gas increased in December by more than 200 percent from its pre-war cost, according to the World Food Program.
— There were more than 1 million suspected cholera cases reported last year and more than 2,230 associated deaths, according to the World Health Organization — As of late December, there were 381 suspected diphtheria cases in Yemen and 38 associated deaths, nearly all of them children under 15, according to the World Health Organization.
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BENGALURU: A surprise visit by a Lokayukta police inspector to a school last November was all it took for the authorities to pay heed to an eight-year-old request for Cauvery water.
Inspector Manjunath, who visited the school on November 25 last year, saw that students did not have access to drinking water.
“I came to know of the students’ problems and called a meeting with the local corporator, traffic police, BBMP engineer and school authorities.
Teachers who used to come late are also punctual now,” he said.
In a letter of appreciation to the Lokayukta, the high school vice-principal Munivenkataramachari said the school had been requesting the BWSSB authorities for Cauvery water supply for the last eight years, but to no avail.
When it stops functioning, we don’t have water in the washrooms as well,” he told The New Indian Express.
Not only this, the visit by the Lokayukta official also managed to solve issues related to security and parking at the school.
“Some anti-social elements would occupy a passage at the entrance of the school and tease girl students.
Now traffic police have also taken action,” he said adding that traffic inspector Bettegowda also donated a loud speaker to the school to be used during functions.
A ‘no parking’ sign has also been put up at the school entrance is and traffic is monitored by the police.

KARACHI: Justice (retd) Amir Hani Muslim, the newly-appointed head of the judicial commission on water and sanitation in Sindh, carried out on Saturday physical inspection of sewage treatment plants I and II, located in the SITE and Mehmoodabad areas respectively, to determine whether or not they had been made functional in light of the commission’s recommendations as well as the directives of the Supreme Court (SC).
He also found that the KWSB vehicles were in poor condition.
The commission head directed the KWSB authorities to submit a report by tomorrow (Monday) on the rehabilitation work carried out at the plant in question.
Earlier, Justice (retd) Muslim held proceedings of the judicial commission constituted by the SC to investigate the authorities’ failure to provide potable drinking water, improve sanitation and curb its impact on the environment in Sindh.
He asked AG Barrister Zamir Ghumro to submit a report on the current position of the development schemes in the light of the commission’s recommendations and the SC orders within two days.
Justice (retd) Amir Hani Muslim-led commission to start proceedings today The commission inquired from the law officer whether or not the elements responsible for the corruption and delays in water and sanitation schemes had been identified.
He also asked him to explain what long-term and short-term plans the government had made for the purpose.
Justice (retd) Muslim told the secretary to either work or relinquish the post, adding that a report on the conduct of the officers could expose them to serious consequences in the apex court.
The chief secretary was also directed to submit a report, mentioning the short-term and long-term planning to address the water related problems in Karachi and rest of the province.
“I, however, have put to notice that I will be visiting Karachi and rural Sindh in the intervening period to personally inspect the existing schemes,” Justice (retd) Muslim told the officers.

What is Day Zero?
What is Day Zero?
Day Zero does not mean that there is no water in our dams.
What happens on Day Zero?
On Day Zero, Cape Town residents will have to collect water at 200 collection sites or points of distribution in Cape Town.
The City estimates that about 20 000 people will be able to collect water per site per day.
But if on Day Zero, we collect 25 litres for the day, there’ll be less – or even no – greywater to flush?
"We should be prepared to live with very little water for at least three months and possibly up to six months after Day Zero, but it all depends on when rain falls in the water source areas that feed the dams," said WWF in a statement.
However, the City of Cape Town is working on alternative water sources.
Level 6B restrictions will limit irrigation using boreholes and well points.

London: Scientists have developed a simple, paper-based device that can be used to test if a water sample is contaminated, providing a low-cost way for developing countries to limit the spread of water-borne diseases.
Inspired by the simplicity of litmus paper – commonly used for the rapid assessment of acidity in water – the device consists of a microbial fuel cell (MFC), obtained by screen printing biodegradable carbon electrodes onto a single piece of paper.
An MFC is a device that uses the natural biological processes of ‘electric’ bacteria – attached to the carbon electrodes – to generate an electric signal.
When these bacteria are exposed to polluted water, a change in the electric signal occurs, which can be used as a warning message that the water is unsafe to drink.
Researchers from the University of Bath in the UK are now investigating how to link up the sensor with an electronic device such as a mobile phone, via a wireless transmitter, for a quick and user-friendly way of identifying if a water supply is safe to use.
The device has the potential not only to make water assessment rapid and cheap – each device is expected to cost no more than USD 1 – but it is also environmentally friendly since the paper sensor is made of biodegradable components.
The device is also easy-to-use and transport, weighing less than one gramme.
"This work could lead to a revolutionary way of testing water at the point of use, which is not only green, easy to operate and rapid, but also affordable to all," said Mirella Di Lorenzo, senior lecturer at the University of Bath.
"This type of research will have a significant positive impact, especially benefiting those areas where access to even basic analytic tools is prohibitive," said Di Lorenzo, lead author of the study published in the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics.
"This device is a small step in helping the world realise the United Nations call to ensure access to safe drinking water and sanitation as a human right," he said.

Not only are residents in the Mountaintop region running low on water, but the water they do have is under a boil water notice.
Residents have expressed concerns about their water — with it ranging from milky white to green in color, and sometimes having sediment in it.
Several organizations are making donations of bottled water to help those in Burnside Township, Snow Shoe borough and Snow Shoe Township, who are served by Mountaintop Regional Water Authority.
Clarence Moose Lodge 1565 ordered 504 cases to donate — no pickup date has been set yet.
State Rep. Mike Hanna, D-Lock Haven, announced Wednesday that he worked with Nestle Waters, which is donating 1,600 cases.
“This is a water crisis and a serious health hazard,” Hanna said in a press release.
“Residents cannot bathe, brush their teeth or safely cook meals under these conditions.
I implore the Mountaintop Regional Water Authority to take every step possible to rectify this situation.” Mountaintop water authority customers can pick up bottled water starting at 10 a.m. Friday at the Snow Shoe EMS building, 492 W. Sycamore Road in Snow Shoe.
They can also call Hanna’s Milesburg office at 353-8780, staffer Tammy Ammerman at 206-6433, staffer Luanna Dudish at 571-3446 or email RepMikeHanna@pahouse.net to request water be reserved for them.
That can be picked up at Hanna’s office.

For the last few months, Capetonians have been talking about Day Zero, the day when the city’s taps are expected to run dry but what does this really mean?
This day is calculated based on knowing how much water is in the big 6 dams that feed Cape Town and the Western Cape Water Supply System, and knowing how much water is being used by the city’s residents, by agriculture and what is evaporating out of the dam.
Substantial new water sources are not likely to come on line before April, so the only thing that can really push out Day Zero is if YOU and I use less water and save water NOW!
There will not be enough water in the system to maintain normal services and the taps (and toilets) will run dry.
All other mains water supplied by the city will be cut off.
Cape Town is lucky to have three different aquifers within its area and close to the major water supply network.
Come Day Zero we will have to use very small volumes of water in our households (whatever you can carry in a bucket or container from a point of distribution or from a shop, or transport in your car or in a wheelbarrow from a neighbour’s borehole) that there may not be enough to flush.
It’s likely that many businesses will not be able to stay open – either because they rely on large volumes of water for their core functions or because they are not able to offer safe water and sanitation to employees for their time at work.
You could buy 5-litre bottled water during your weekly shop and keep that safe as you prepare for Day Zero.
Check out your status on the Cape Town water users map: https://citymaps.capetown.gov.za/EGISViewer/ Make sure you have a minimum EMERGENCY SUPPLY of drinking water at home and re use clean bottles to store water.

Some recent strides have been made in compiling data on communities with drinking water violations, but more work is needed to help scope solutions, prioritize actions and track progress.
The biggest data gaps are for domestic wells or very small water systems that are not regulated by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
California also has data gaps for the thousands of water systems regulated by the SDWA that serve the vast majority of the state’s residents: community water systems with more than 15 connections and other public systems such as schools.
It also uses a point system to reflect the seriousness of the problem.
Systems exceeding less serious standards get 5 points per violation, and each monitoring and reporting violation gets 1 point.
ECHO provides a compliance summary for each system and enables the user to drill down into violation details.
Using information from ECHO, we find that more than 80 percent of California’s non-compliant drinking water systems, serving 280,000 residents, have been out of compliance for at least three years (see figure below).
The state might want to customize the ECHO point system to reflect local conditions – for instance, where state standards are stricter than federal standards.
And instead of flagging only systems that have a safety violation, the state could track systems that are behind on monitoring and reporting because this could foreshadow future violations of water quality standards.
More accessible and transparent data would help build momentum for action.