SHANTA KUMAR TO COMMISSION MALDA ARSENIC
AREA WATER SUPPLY SCHEME TOMORROW
Shri Shanta Kumar,
Minister of Rural Development will commission Malda Arsenic Area
Water Supply Scheme Phase-II tomorrow. Ministry of Rural Development
sanctioned the Malda Arsenic Area Water Supply Scheme Phase II
in March 2001 at an estimated cost of Rs.43 crore under Pradhan
Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY)-Drinking Water Supply Programme
for providing safe drinking water to about three lakh population
residing in arsenic endemic area in Malda District of West Bengal.
This is in addition to the 3.5 lakh population already covered
by the Malda Arsenic Area Water Supply Scheme Phase I. Phase II
project covers 396 villages of which 116 villages are covered
by 18 ground water based water supply schemes and the remaining
280 villages are covered by surface water based water supply schemes.
The problem of arsenic
in West Bengal was identified in 1980’s and the State Government
started surveying the extent and magnitude of the problem. The
State Government constituted Expert Committee to ascertain the
cause, the extent and the magnitude of the problem as well as
to suggest remedial measure. The State Government also urged upon
the Central Government to include Arsenic area water supply scheme
under Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission (RGNDWM), Ministry
of Rural Development. It was subsequently accepted and the Arsenic
Sub-Mission Programme was introduced in 1993.
Three surface water
based schemes for supplying arsenic free drinking water to arsenic
affected areas of Malda, South 24-Parganas and North 24-Parganas
districts were prepared and submitted to Rural Development Ministry.
The Malda Phase I arsenic free drinking water scheme was the first
water supply schemes sanctioned under ‘Arsenic Submission Programme’
by the Department of Drinking Water Supply, Ministry of Rural
Development in 1995 at an estimated cost of Rs.88.48 crore. The
second Surface Water Scheme under Arsenic Sub-Mission was sanctioned
in 1997 for South 24-Parganas District at an estimated cost of
Rs. 232.84 crore. The funding pattern for submission projects
is in the ratio of 3:1 between the Central and State Governments.
Central assistance for all these schemes is being provided over
and above Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP) release.
