People in the Bengal Basin drink a lot of water because of the hot climate, the demands of physical labor, and the lack of alternative beverages. The groundwater
used as a source of drinking water is contaminated with arsenic. In 1993, studies detected the first patient suffering from arsenic-contaminated groundwater. The
Bangladesh government began to face a very difficult and serious water problem. Arsenic, is a known carcinogen and is highly toxic. It has gradually affected
people in the Bengal Basin. Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that exists in the earth. Triggered by the installation of tube wells without careful scientific
investigation, arsenic dissolved into the drinking water. People did not realize that arsenic was present in the drinking water since it is colorless, tasteless and
odorless. Moreover, people didn't even know what arsenic was, and could not recognize its outward manifestations.
Now, this disaster is widespread in the Bengal Basin. About 40 million, one-third of the population of the Bengal Basin suffers from various diseases, such as warts, skin lesions, and cancers. This serious water problem can be attributed to the combination of ineffective water resource management, industrialization
and the rapid increase of population.
In order to improve the water quality as well as to prevent further environmental disasters, the government needs to conduct effective water
management. The arsenic-contaminated groundwater problem is mainly caused by the lack of knowledge of water resources. One of the worst
calamities in history could have been prevented with the careful study of geochemical, geology (including quatemary geology) and
hydrogeology. We stress the importance of the knowledge of water resources and the need to thoroughly understand the cause of the arsenic
contaminated drinking water. Water is a necessity and the lifeblood of human beings. It is vital that the basic human right to safe and drinking
water is not endangered.
