Bishnupada Kanjilal

PROJECT STATS Country: India, West Bengal Project: "Arsenic Safe Drinking Water: Habra" Partner: Project Well Amount funded: $4,000 People Impacted: 400 Status: Completed PWX report

In her home state of West Bengal, India, arsenic is slowly poisoning the population. They are unknowingly consuming it in the crystal clear water from shallow tube wells originally constructed to prevent gastrointestinal diseases. The water contains high levels of arsenic, leading to serious health and social problems for residents. For example, arsenic poisoning causes cancer, skin lesions and, ultimately, death. Women with skin changes due to arsenic are sent back to their parents' house and their husbands are remarrying.

Project Well educates communities about the effects of arsenic poisoning, has the community assemble around the issue to select a site to donate for construction of a well, notifies local government and ensures long term community ownership in the project.

Mrs. Kanjilal says that the dugwell water is arsenic safe hence they have agreed to have one constructed in their premises for the community. They have started using the earthen filter that they appreciate a lot. They have noticed that they do not get any stomach problems, such as wind, any more.