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Scietific Studies on Dug Wells

An Easy Alternative to Obtain Arsenic Free Water

The UK/DFID report states that " the top of shallow aquifer, at depths of less than 10m, also appears to be less contaminated than deeper down as indicated by the observation that shallow hand dug wells are usually uncontaminated even in areas of high arsenic contamination.

Arsenic Research Group of School of Environment, Jadavpur Unversity, W. Bengal, India produced the following studies on dug wells (Feb 2001):

(Police Station: Domkal, District: Murshidabad, West Bengal-INDIA)

Some more information about our dug-well study from Domkal block of Mushidabad district in West Bengal-India during February 2001.

We hope this report will fulfill many questions raised on dugwell use in the arsenic affected areas.

Experiment No.-1

Mode of collection of water samples from Dug-well:

Water samples were collected from dug wells following the same procedure as the villagers are using to collect water (procedure of collection discussed in our dugwell report on 5th January and 3rd February 2001).

The overall result of our 483 dugwells is given below.

About 50 years before for drinking water rural population of West Bengal and Bangladesh were mostly depending on pond water, dugwell and river water. Hand tubewell culture started during 50's and now more than 95% rural population of West Bengal and Bangladesh are using hand tubewell for drinking purpose.

In arsenic affected villages when water from many hand tubewells are arsenic contaminated and many have arsenical skin lesions but those (small in number) drinking water from dugwells have no arsenical skin lesions and much healthier compared to those suffering from arsenic toxicity.

These are only a few out of many incidents to those using dugwell, left dugwell and started drinking hand tube-well. Out of all the incidents, two incidents can not be forgotten.

1. Memory of dead husband saved Rokia Bawa from arsenic toxicity while his sons/grandsons are arsenic patient.

In the village Pirojpur (GP Juranpur, PS : Domkal, Dist: Murshidabad) lives Rokia Bawa and her sons, grandsons. We found that in her family almost all have arsenical skin lesions, except Rokia. While trying to find out the reason we came to know memory of her dead husband saved her from being an arsenic patient. Fact goes like this:

2. Switched over to hand tubewell for better living, leaving dugwell and poor brother

In Rajapur, Idga para live Sajeman and his brother Abul Hossain Mandal. They grew together and were drinking their old dugwell water. Abul Hossain in course of time became rich and started neglected his brother Sajeman and one-day he left his brother and went to his new house fitted with a hand tubwell. Within next couple of years Abul and his family got skin lesions and now living a miserable life. Money could not save Abul from arsenic toxicity. Now he is drinking water from Sajeman's dugwell.

Villagers opinion abut their traditional dugwell culture.

We are summarizing below the questions we asked the villagers and their reply on why they left the traditional dugwell culture?

Ans: Older generation replied that during their childhood, they were using dugwells for drinking and cooking. Those could not afford a dugwell, were drinking pond water or river water. River water and pond water most of the villagers were not using during monsoon but dugwell water they could use round the year. Although they had no serious ailment like arsenic but common problem that prevailed in villages were dysentery and diarrhoea and were at the peak during rainy season.

Ans: Older people reported that they knew that dugwell water is the best at that time if it was kept clean and covered. They further reported that they were using once in a year or two times to clean the dugwell but as they could not use the water for 10-15 days after cleaning, they were reluctant to clean the dugwell. Moreover older people reported that they were not quite aware of contamination through bacteria what the present generation know much well. Also various types of disinfectant were not available to clean water in those days.

Ans: "We at the beginning were reluctant to use the hand tubewells, but health care people convinced us that diarrhoea, dysentery will be no longer there if we use hand tubewell water." Moreover we found this is the simplest way and quite easy to get water and so we slowly shifted to hand tubewell. At the beginning government installed many free tubewells, only we had to express our desire to get one. Further, we also found that for agriculture we have not to look at sky for rain. Just put a pump & get your field flooded. When we are getting crops three times a year from underground-water we realized this is not "devil's water", but this is "god's blessings to us".

Older generation told that 20-30 years before they started installing hand tubewells widely & it went on increasing. Younger generation told that from their birth they knew water for drinking comes from hand tubewell. Younger generation further told that dugwell, pond-water and river-water to them are the symbol of impure water. Those not suffering from arsenic believe tubewell is the safest source of water for drinking.

Ans: A section of the villagers replied that for last 20 years they have got enough punishment -- many of them lost their nearest and dearest one. In most of the villages arsenic orphans are many and those who have arsenical skin lesions are burden to their family. They are in the opinion that they want to go back to dugwell.

Those who are not suffering from arsenic toxicity are not realizing the serious consequence of this toxin. They opine that when they have no skin lesions & complications why they will go back to dugwell knowing that it is the root cause of dysentery, diarrhea & other gastro-enteric trouble.

CONCLUSION:

Dugwell can be used in villages of West-Bengal-India and Bangladesh for drinking purpose after taking care of bacterial contamination & assessing the quality of water. Water from open dug hole can be improved through protective measures. Pathogene, bacteria, viruses can be removed through solar radiation (no cost) and other methods at site acceptable appropriate measures. It is easy to remove bacteria but present experience in Bangladesh and India show that household methods of arsenic removal have totally failed but donors and NGOs ("more monitoring is required for these filters before it can be recommended") are still continuing to fruitless target. Professor Qazi Qamruzzaman said that there were committees -- National Steering Committee and Technical Advisory Committee for overseeing and monitoring the arsenic disaster mitigation activities all over the country. But they are hardly found in real operation (The Bangladesh Observer, 17.01.01).

Recently Dhaka Community Hospital made the following press relaese(Januyry 17,2001):

Some western marketing companies under the assistance of donor agencies are taking the advantage of the situation and creating market for their arsenic filtration devices. Many of these devices are not as dependable as told in their publicity materials. Moreover, no effective programme has yet been taken to give medical care to the arsenic affected patients (

We strongly recommend arsenic removal plants on community basis. Example - such as Faridpur Water Supply. The Faridpur Water supply was built during British period and it contains two open basins - first an oxidation chamber and the second sedimentation chamber.

 
 
 
 
 
 Faridpur Water Supply reduces arsenic concnetration from 220 µg/l to 42 µg/l after sunlight, air and sedimentation

The water pumped from the ground water contains a high arsenic concentration but after oxidation, sedimentation and filtration, water has shown arsenic below Bangladesg Standard. This can be further improved.

This system can be easily introduced on small and large scale in the most affected areas on community basis and do not require outside know how or import of high tecnology.

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