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Not testing the waters

  • 29/11/2002
  • WHO

Not testing the waters  victims of arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh have taken the British Geological Survey (bgs) to court. They contend that bgs did not test for arsenic in the water of wells funded by a project which had partners such as the United Nations Children's Fund (unicef) and the World Bank from 1983 to 1992. Consequently, they unknowingly consumed water containing arsenic over a long period. A part of the money for digging these wells was given by the uk and the expertise for the project was provided by bgs.

"The case is a warning for different donor agencies, which embark on programmes in developing countries without understanding the long-term effects of such plans,' says Quazi Quamruzzaman, chairperson of Dhaka Community Hospital, which has filed the case in the High Court in London, along with the victims.

bgs, however, denies the allegations. According to a spokesperson from the Natural Environment Research Council (nerc)

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