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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a report referring to the bad quality of water in Bihar. According to the Bihar Economic Survey 2021-22, in 31 of the 38 districts of the state, arsenic, fluoride, and excessive iron were found in the groundwater. The report pointed out that the groundwater in 30,272 rural wards is chemically contaminated, NHRC said.
Of the 30,742 wards, 4,742 rural wards, situated near the Ganges are particularly affected by arsenic. Whereas 3,791 rural wards of 11 districts are affected by fluoride and nin Koshi basin districts and other districts have excessive iron.
The human rights commission said such chemicals might cause serious health hazards including liver and kidney-related problems.
"The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise a serious issue of human rights violation," said NHRC.
NHRC issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Secretary, Public Health Engineering Department, Government of Bihar seeking a report within six weeks.
The Commission said the report should include safety measures taken to provide potable water in those districts and also the implementation of the scheme under "Har-Ghar-Jal-Nal-Yojana". The Commission has also asked the State Pollution Control Board to submit a report on the random sampling of groundwater.
