"Now that the Calcutta Rescue team has repaired our water filters, the drinking water tastes much better. I am really happy that they came from Kolkata to help us. I thank them," said Mamata, a resident of the Hazipara area.
Although it cannot be tasted, smelled or seen, arsenic has a fatal impact on health. Around 300 million people worldwide consume water contaminated with this semi-metal, often without realizing it. Long-term consumption of high levels of arsenic can lead to health problems such as diarrhea, skin rashes and damage to the kidneys and liver and, in the worst case, can even cause cancer.
Calcutta Rescue's arsenic project in Malda began in 2003 when Dr. Jack Preger, the founder of Calcutta Rescue, learned about the massive arsenic poisoning from well water in the Malda region of West Bengal from a World Health Organization (WHO) report.
Calcutta Rescue repaired the water filters in Malda in 2023 with the support of the British Everywell Water Foundation, which also supported the construction of hand-washing stations in Dakshineswar and suitable toilets and water supply facilities in the slum of Bagbazar, where Calcutta Rescue works.
In Malda, Calcutta Rescue worked on 12 filters in remote villages 30 km from the city. Around 20,000 very poor families live in these villages, many of whom work as day laborers, bidi workers, domestic helpers and silkworm breeders.
Due to the pandemic, maintenance work had to be put on hold. Now that the fear of the pandemic has receded, the Calcutta Rescue team has resumed the maintenance of the water filters.
In February 2023, a five-member team from Calcutta Rescue visited the remote areas of Malda, a seven-hour journey from Kolkata, to assess the condition of the filters. "We found that most of the villagers were unaware of the arsenic contamination, so we had to act quickly to ensure they had safe drinking water," said Asif, the head of Calcutta Rescue's Living Standards Team.
The team met with those responsible for the water filters in Malda, developed strategies and began work in April 2023. Of the 12 filters, one was completely broken and had to be replaced immediately. Five filters received new media (a mixture of gravel used for water purification) and one filter is still being worked on.
The others were checked and cleaned if necessary. A comprehensive water test was carried out in mid-August 2023 to check the arsenic and iron content of the water, and everything appeared to be in order.
The filters also received a new coat of paint and the project was completed in July 2023.
After the project was completed, the team toured the entire area with rickshaws and megaphones to organize an awareness event about the project and the importance of clean drinking water.
The awareness-raising event was a success. "Many villagers knew nothing about the arsenic contamination in their drinking water. We got talking to them and they were very eager to learn. We were able to convince them to take care of the filters themselves with the support of Calcutta Rescue," says a team member.