Patna: Groundwater in 13 Bihar districts have been found to be partially contaminated with arsenic, while it was not fit for drinking in 50 blocks, state Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) Minister Chandramohan Rai said on Monday.
He said National Geographic Research Centre was carrying out a survey to find the extent of contamination of underground water and remedial measures will be taken on the basis of its report.
The 13 partially affected districts are mostly located on the banks of various rivers in the state, he said, adding, the state government will launch multi-village scheme to provide arsenic-free water to the people.
Under the scheme, underground water would be purified and supplied to the villagers, he said.
The scheme has already taken off in Patna, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Munger and Buxar districts but its implementation is delayed in several others as land acquisition for setting up water treatment plant has been delayed with villagers demanding steep prices, Rai said.
PTI
