Health-related food security issues: Food security is obviously one of the prime factors for nutritional well-being, and therefore an important determinant of the overall health condition. Food security in turn is affected by aggregate production within the state, the ability to access outside production, and the distributional features within the state that determine the access to food of households in different geographical areas as well as households of different income and occupation groups. In this context, the recent deterioration of the public food distribution system, and its declining ability to reach households across the state and provide the desired range of foodstuff, is a source of concern.

In terms of aggregate production within the state, the relationship between per capita production and consumption of various food items has been quite good…

Arsenic poisoning: The first case of arsenicosis (or arsenic poisoning) was discovered in WB in 1982. Since then, it has been found that the problem of excess arsenic in drinking water exists in at least 75 blocks spread over 8 districts, accounting for an estimated population of over 13.5 million people. These districts are Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Bardhaman, Haora and Hugli.

Arsenic contamination of groundwater in WB is of geological origin, deriving from the geological strata underlying the Gangetic plain. The increasing use of tubewell water to provide drinking water as well as for sanitation and irrigation means that this is an urgent problem requiring immediate public intervention. Simple removal of arsenic from water, or shifting to other sources of human drinking water supply, may not be adequate to eliminate the problem, as there is evidence that the food chain is now also being affected. The effect on the cattle population is also...very serious...

Excess arsenic in drinking water gives rise to a number of health problems, including gastro-intestinal disturbances, hyper-pigmentation and neuropathy, and even skin cancer in severe cases. The most common effects appear in the form of skin lesions, which typically manifest after a minimum exposure of about five years. Already, nearly 17 lakh people in the state have been diagnosed with arsenic-related skin manifestations... Knowledge about the full health effects of arsenic is still incomplete.

The social implications of this health problem, and the impact on people’s livelihoods, are yet to be adequately studied. However some adverse social effects can already be observed. There are reports of young women not being able to marry because of arsenicosis, and more general reluctance to declare the problem because of fear of social ridicule. Clearly, there is a need to change social attitudes towards the health effects of arsenic exposure, as well as to provide people in affected areas with scientifically correct information along with feasible safe drinking water options.

This means that along with the technical and infrastructural measures that are required, such as identification and treatment of those affected and the provision of alternative sources of drinking water, an effective communication strategy is required. This has to correct the prevailing myths about arsenic poisoning, clarify the awareness about contaminated and safe water, and increase people’s motivation to switch to arsenic-free drinking water for themselves and their livestock. In all of this, there is an important role for the panchayats.