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Introduction:
Access to safe drinking water is a basic human right
and a component of effective policy for health protection.
Today tens of millions of people, mainly in developing
countries are affected by arsenic in drinking water
exceeding WHO drinking water guideline value of 10
µg/L and the global impact now makes it a top
priority water quality issue. Elevated arsenic concentrations
of natural origin in groundwater have been observed
in several parts of the world and further incidences
are continually being reported. Providing arsenic
safe water to the millions of exposed population in
the country is the only remedial measure to take care
of the arsenic problem. It is to be mentioned that
success of different mitigation approaches, except
tubewell based options, tried in the past was questionable.
Considering the limited evidences of tubewell lowering
technique which is based on looking at sediment colours
and is promoted by local drillers, it could be said
that this technique might be sustainable to regain
the lost safe water coverage in Bangladesh.
The
KTH-International Groundwater Arsenic Research Group
(GARG) has showed in several studies that it is possible
to assess the relative risk of high concentrations
of arsenic in aquifers if the colour characteristics
of the sediments are known and thus, local drillers
may target safe aquifer. The concept is based on the
idea that identification of safe aquifers can be done
on the basis of visible geological features, their
relation to groundwater chemical composition and relative
risk for high arsenic occurrences.
SAsMit is a SIDA funded action research project which
aims to find the validity of the tubewell lowering
technique. The project is jointly implemented by NGO
Forum for DWSS, Geology Department of the Dhaka University
in Bangladesh and KTH and Ramboll in Sweden.
Project Implementation Area:
Matlab Upazila of Chandpur District, Bangladesh.
Project Duration:
April 2008 - March 2012
Project Goal:
To provide safe drinking water in regions with elevated-arsenic
enriched groundwater for rural and disadvantaged community
in Bangladesh.
Project Objectives:
The objectives of this project are to
■
increase global awareness of the problems associated
with high arsenic groundwater of geogenic origin,
■
exchange experiences regarding feasibility of mitigation
options, and
■
develop a sustainable option for safe drinking water
for rural and disadvantaged community through targeting
safe aquifers in regions with elevated arsenic enriched
groundwater of geogenic origin for installation of
community hand tubewells.
Major Activities:
The project activities can be stated under two major
Components:
■
a global component for advocacy, awareness raising,
capacity building, exchange of information, conceptualization
of the mitigation option and replication-trials for
validation.
■
a multidisciplinary action research (field trial)
in Matlab Upazila, Bangladesh including hydro geological
investigations, field implementation, generation of
knowledge, capacity building based on participatory
approaches, monitoring, management and establishment
of water safety plan for the promoted option in collaboration
with the local government and other stakeholders. |
