“Unfortunately, they uncovered a sleeping giant: there is arsenic naturally occurring in the ground, and it has been coming out due to the increased pumping of water from shallow tube wells.”
“
In Mayapur, our long-term plan is to use Mother Ganga for supplying all of our potable-water needs.”
“
We want to bring all of the natural elements within safe, international limits, so the devotees have a clean and safe supply of water.”at Mayapur
From Gaura Sakti Dasa
There is a very unusual problem in the eastern area of the Indian sub-continent. It has been found, after great personal loss by the local inhabitants, that an area encompassing many thousands of square kilometers is contaminated by arsenic.
This appears to have come about due to the proliferation of shallow tube wells, which have been installed over vast areas of West Bengal and Bangladesh to ease the problems previously encountered by the local residents using their ponds for all domestic purposes. These were used for bathing, washing clothes, washing dishes, and yes, washing the cows and buffalos. As a result, many diseases like cholera and dysentery were afflicting a huge number of people, causing thousands of deaths yearly.
The governments of the UK and other European countries, along with the UN and other international agencies, sought to solve the problem without studying it carefully. Their solution: spend millions of pounds for engineering and construction of these shallow water tube wells, thus providing "safe" water for the inhabitants of villages, even in the most rural areas.
Unfortunately, they uncovered a sleeping giant: there is arsenic naturally occurring in the ground, and it has been coming out due to the increased pumping of water from shallow tube wells. The area of Mayapur is also within this afflicted area.
Approach taken for Mayapur
---------------
The management at Mayapur, as well as the Mayapur Development Committee, has been aware of
this problem for several years.
We have sought to solve this problem in our community, and we have tried to take a
professional approach, although not much is known about inexpensively de-contaminating
water containing arsenic.
We have used the services of one of the foremost consultants in this field, Dr. Dipankar
Chakraborty, of Jadavpur University, (who you quoted in your Chakra article), for the last
5 years or more. Under his supervision, we have periodically taken samples of water from
different wells in and around the Mayapur community and sent them to him for testing. We
took two approaches to the problem: one long-term, and one short term.
The long-term approach
------------------
It has been stated in several places in the shastra, that Ganga purifies anything that
comes in contact with her, and if her waters are left to sit for a period of time, they
will automatically purify themselves. It was our desire to test this theory, and then try
to apply the results to properly design and engineer a system for Mayapur residents and
guests.
Our testing procedure began in August of 1996, and was repeated again the following year
in August of 1997. Two different laboratories were used, one Indian and the other Swiss.
Part of our brief was as follows:
1) To find out the present condition of the major deep-tube wells that the majority of the
Mayapur residents use;
2) To determine the qualities of the Ganga and Jalangi River waters for possible use as
potable water supply;
3) To give us some indication of the treatments necessary in case the tests looked
positive.
We took water samples from the Ganga, several residences, and two of our 432-foot-deep
tube wells and sent them in for both physical and bacteriological testing. The river water
samples were taken during the month of August, as in this period the river is quite
contaminated due to yearly flooding.
We had the waters collected in sterilized stainless steel containers, or sterilized glass
containers, and had them tested daily in two categories: chemical content, and bacteria
content.
For the chemical aspect, we wanted to see if there were heavy chemicals present, from
sources such as agriculture (they use many different pesticides) or factory discharge.
There are many factories on the Ganga and the Bhagirathi Rivers. (The correct technical
name of the river running past Mayapur is the Bhagirathi, named for Maharaj Bhagirathi.
His story is explained within the pages of Srimad Bhagavatam).
We tested for the following:
1. Color
2. Turbidity
3. Odor
4. pH
5. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) at 105*C
6. Total Alkalinity (CaCO3)
7. Total Hardness (CaCO3)
8. Chloride (as Cl)
9. Calcium
10. Magnesium
11. Iron
12. Sulfates
13. Free Chlorine.
14. Total Plate Count (TPC - All Bacteria, good and bad)
15. V. cholerae
16. E. Coli
17. Salmonella
The last 3 bacteria are all deadly in very small quantities. None were detected after the
first few days.
The results from the first series of tests were encouraging enough for us to repeat the
study the following year. We expanded the parameters and increased the frequency of
testing so we could better interpret the test results.
We discovered the following regarding the waters taken from the two rivers, Bhagirathi and
Jalangi:
On the first day of testing, the TPC was 16,500 and 18,400 respectively. By letting the
waters sit, and doing no other treatment, on day 10 the TPC was: 64 and 65 respectively.
By the 18th day, quantities had risen slightly above the recommended limits of 200.
The results of the testing were encouraging in both years.
1. Color--- nil
2. Turbidity---nil
3. Odor--Absent
4. pH-7.0 +/- 0.1
5. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) at 105*C--- 352 mg/L
6. Total Alkalinity (CaCO3)---142.6
7. Total Hardness (CaCO3)---137.7
8. Chloride (as Cl)----44.30
9. Calcium----32.86
10. Magnesium----12.80
11. Iron---0.15
12. Sulphates---5.0
13. Free Chlorine---nil.
Chemically speaking, all waters were within safe limits as they came from the river.
Upstream of Mayapur, there are few, if any, large industries or factories discharging into
the river.
As mentioned above, the TPC rose after the 18th day, but that still gives us a
"window" of about 8 days within which the water is not only safe, but quite nice
for all types of consumption.
In Mayapur, our long-term plan is to use Mother Ganga for supplying all of our
potable-water needs. We have an engineering consultant who we plan to use for designing
and engineering a sewage treatment plant (STP) and delivery system (piping, lift stations,
etc. necessary to bring the effluent from the house to the treatment plant). I have his
second proposal on my desk right now.
After successful completion of the sewage system, we intend to have him design a water
treatment plant, using the Ganga water.
The short-term approach
-------------------
For our immediate needs, we are preparing documentation now for the drilling and
installation of a new, deep tube well, which will serve the grhastha community development
as a mid-term solution.
We have received three quotations from professional well-drilling firms. We already have a
system designed for bringing the waters to the existing and new buildings.
After the well is completed, we will send in the water for testing, so we can determine
what treatment is necessary. In some deep wells the CaCO3 in both forms—Alkalinity
and Hardness— are high, as is the Total Dissolved Solids, Calcium and Sulfates. These
may require treatment.
We want to limit the use of chemical treatments for obvious reasons, but still provide
good quality water. We want to bring all of the natural elements within safe,
international limits, so the devotees have a clean and safe supply of water.
This new well should be completed within 3 months time. The additional treatment plant
will require extra time, as we will not know the type of treatment, nor the cost, until
the well is completed, tested, and the results analyzed.
Assuring you that we are putting our full attention on this issue.
Your Servant
Gaura Sakti Dasa
Head of Construction
Sri Mayapur Project
Any devotees concerned about these issues are invited to correspond with Bhagavat Dharma
das, our Communications Officer
On Com - Bhagavat Dharma MG (bhagavat.dharma.mg@com.bbt.se
)
On the Net - bhagavat@netcomuk.co.uk
Sri Mayapur Project Temporary Web Page:
www.netcomuk.co.uk\~bhagavat\smp.htm
© CHAKRA 11-Mar-99
| Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare |