Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 73
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Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 74
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Code Context
            if (Configure::read('debug')) {

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    <link rel="canonical" href="https://im4change.in/<pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67f4a4aee8d78-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67f4a4aee8d78-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Notice</b> (8)</a>: Undefined variable: urlPrefix [<b>APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp</b>, line <b>8</b>]<div id="cakeErr67f4a4aee8d78-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67f4a4aee8d78-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67f4a4aee8d78-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr67f4a4aee8d78-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr67f4a4aee8d78-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr67f4a4aee8d78-code" class="cake-code-dump" style="display: none;"><code><span style="color: #000000"><span style="color: #0000BB"></span><span style="color: #007700">&lt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">head</span><span style="color: #007700">&gt;
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-DNA
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&lt;em&gt;38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
&lt;/p&gt;
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Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &amp;quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don&#039;t respond to treatments.&amp;quot;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you&#039;ll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &amp;quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&amp;quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &amp;quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&amp;quot;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.
&lt;/p&gt;
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Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &amp;quot;Initially, Green Revolution II&#039;s focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&amp;quot; He added that is true that &amp;quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&amp;quot;.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &amp;quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&amp;quot;
&lt;/p&gt;
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However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.
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-DNA


38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison


Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-DNA&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &amp;quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don&#039;t respond to treatments.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you&#039;ll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &amp;quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&amp;quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &amp;quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &amp;quot;Initially, Green Revolution II&#039;s focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&amp;quot; He added that is true that &amp;quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &amp;quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
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	&#039;description&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
-DNA
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&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &amp;quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don&#039;t respond to treatments.&amp;quot;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you&#039;ll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &amp;quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&amp;quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &amp;quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&amp;quot;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &amp;quot;Initially, Green Revolution II&#039;s focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&amp;quot; He added that is true that &amp;quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&amp;quot;.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &amp;quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&amp;quot;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.
&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
	&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;DNA, 2 April, 2015, http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-arsenic-on-platter-2073563&#039;,
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$metaTitle = &#039;LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Arsenic on platter -Jyotika Sood&#039;
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-DNA


38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison


Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-DNA&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &amp;quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don&#039;t respond to treatments.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you&#039;ll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &amp;quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&amp;quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &amp;quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &amp;quot;Initially, Green Revolution II&#039;s focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&amp;quot; He added that is true that &amp;quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &amp;quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&#039;
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38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison


Indian government's ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six..."/>
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                <strong>Arsenic on platter -Jyotika Sood</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-DNA</div><p align="justify"><em>38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison</em></p><p align="justify">Indian government's ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.</p><p align="justify">Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.</p><p align="justify">Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.</p><p align="justify">Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.</p><p align="justify">This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.</p><p align="justify">Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don't respond to treatments.&quot;</p><p align="justify">The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.</p><p align="justify">Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you'll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.</p><p align="justify">Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&quot;</p><p align="justify">As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.</p><p align="justify">Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.</p><p align="justify">Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &quot;Initially, Green Revolution II's focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&quot; He added that is true that &quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&quot;.</p><p align="justify">Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&quot;</p><p align="justify">However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.</p>               </font>
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-DNA
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&lt;em&gt;38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &amp;quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don&#039;t respond to treatments.&amp;quot;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you&#039;ll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &amp;quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&amp;quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &amp;quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&amp;quot;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &amp;quot;Initially, Green Revolution II&#039;s focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&amp;quot; He added that is true that &amp;quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&amp;quot;.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &amp;quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&amp;quot;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.
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-DNA


38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison


Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-DNA&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &amp;quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don&#039;t respond to treatments.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you&#039;ll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &amp;quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&amp;quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &amp;quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &amp;quot;Initially, Green Revolution II&#039;s focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&amp;quot; He added that is true that &amp;quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &amp;quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
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	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Arsenic on platter -Jyotika Sood&#039;,
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-DNA
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&lt;em&gt;38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &amp;quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don&#039;t respond to treatments.&amp;quot;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you&#039;ll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &amp;quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&amp;quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &amp;quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&amp;quot;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &amp;quot;Initially, Green Revolution II&#039;s focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&amp;quot; He added that is true that &amp;quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&amp;quot;.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &amp;quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&amp;quot;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.
&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
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-DNA


38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison


Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-DNA&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &amp;quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don&#039;t respond to treatments.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you&#039;ll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &amp;quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&amp;quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &amp;quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. 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-DNA


38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison


Indian government's ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six..."/>
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                <strong>Arsenic on platter -Jyotika Sood</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-DNA</div><p align="justify"><em>38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison</em></p><p align="justify">Indian government's ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.</p><p align="justify">Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.</p><p align="justify">Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.</p><p align="justify">Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.</p><p align="justify">This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.</p><p align="justify">Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don't respond to treatments.&quot;</p><p align="justify">The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.</p><p align="justify">Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you'll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.</p><p align="justify">Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&quot;</p><p align="justify">As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.</p><p align="justify">Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.</p><p align="justify">Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &quot;Initially, Green Revolution II's focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&quot; He added that is true that &quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&quot;.</p><p align="justify">Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&quot;</p><p align="justify">However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.</p>               </font>
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-DNA
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&lt;em&gt;38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
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Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.
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Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.
&lt;/p&gt;
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Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.
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This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.
&lt;/p&gt;
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Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &amp;quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don&#039;t respond to treatments.&amp;quot;
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The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.
&lt;/p&gt;
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Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you&#039;ll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.
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Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &amp;quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&amp;quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &amp;quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&amp;quot;
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&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.
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Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.
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Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &amp;quot;Initially, Green Revolution II&#039;s focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&amp;quot; He added that is true that &amp;quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&amp;quot;.
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Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &amp;quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&amp;quot;
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However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.
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-DNA


38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison


Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-DNA&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &amp;quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don&#039;t respond to treatments.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you&#039;ll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &amp;quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&amp;quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &amp;quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &amp;quot;Initially, Green Revolution II&#039;s focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&amp;quot; He added that is true that &amp;quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &amp;quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
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-DNA
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&lt;em&gt;38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &amp;quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don&#039;t respond to treatments.&amp;quot;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you&#039;ll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &amp;quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&amp;quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &amp;quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&amp;quot;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &amp;quot;Initially, Green Revolution II&#039;s focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&amp;quot; He added that is true that &amp;quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&amp;quot;.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &amp;quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&amp;quot;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.
&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
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-DNA


38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison


Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;-DNA&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Indian government&#039;s ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &amp;quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don&#039;t respond to treatments.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you&#039;ll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &amp;quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&amp;quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &amp;quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &amp;quot;Initially, Green Revolution II&#039;s focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&amp;quot; He added that is true that &amp;quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&amp;quot;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &amp;quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.&lt;/p&gt;&#039;
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38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison


Indian government's ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six..."/>
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                <strong>Arsenic on platter -Jyotika Sood</strong></h1>
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                <div align="justify">-DNA</div><p align="justify"><em>38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison</em></p><p align="justify">Indian government's ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.</p><p align="justify">Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.</p><p align="justify">Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.</p><p align="justify">Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.</p><p align="justify">This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.</p><p align="justify">Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don't respond to treatments.&quot;</p><p align="justify">The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.</p><p align="justify">Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you'll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.</p><p align="justify">Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&quot;</p><p align="justify">As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.</p><p align="justify">Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.</p><p align="justify">Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &quot;Initially, Green Revolution II's focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&quot; He added that is true that &quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&quot;.</p><p align="justify">Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&quot;</p><p align="justify">However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.</p>               </font>
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-DNA
</div>
<p align="justify">
<em>38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison</em>
</p>
<p align="justify">
Indian government's ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.
</p>
<p align="justify">
This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don't respond to treatments.&quot;
</p>
<p align="justify">
The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you'll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&quot;
</p>
<p align="justify">
As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &quot;Initially, Green Revolution II's focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&quot; He added that is true that &quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&quot;.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&quot;
</p>
<p align="justify">
However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.
</p>',
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	'metaTitle' => 'LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Arsenic on platter -Jyotika Sood',
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-DNA


38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison


Indian government's ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six...',
	'disp' => '<div align="justify">-DNA</div><p align="justify"><em>38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison</em></p><p align="justify">Indian government's ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.</p><p align="justify">Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.</p><p align="justify">Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.</p><p align="justify">Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.</p><p align="justify">This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.</p><p align="justify">Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don't respond to treatments.&quot;</p><p align="justify">The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.</p><p align="justify">Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you'll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.</p><p align="justify">Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&quot;</p><p align="justify">As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.</p><p align="justify">Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.</p><p align="justify">Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &quot;Initially, Green Revolution II's focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&quot; He added that is true that &quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&quot;.</p><p align="justify">Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&quot;</p><p align="justify">However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.</p>',
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	'title' => 'Arsenic on platter -Jyotika Sood',
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-DNA
</div>
<p align="justify">
<em>38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison</em>
</p>
<p align="justify">
Indian government's ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.
</p>
<p align="justify">
This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don't respond to treatments.&quot;
</p>
<p align="justify">
The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you'll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&quot;
</p>
<p align="justify">
As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &quot;Initially, Green Revolution II's focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&quot; He added that is true that &quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&quot;.
</p>
<p align="justify">
Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&quot;
</p>
<p align="justify">
However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.
</p>',
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-DNA


38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison


Indian government's ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six...'
$disp = '<div align="justify">-DNA</div><p align="justify"><em>38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison</em></p><p align="justify">Indian government's ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.</p><p align="justify">Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder.</p><p align="justify">Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic.</p><p align="justify">Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna.</p><p align="justify">This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food.</p><p align="justify">Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. &quot;Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don't respond to treatments.&quot;</p><p align="justify">The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L.</p><p align="justify">Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you'll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic.</p><p align="justify">Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. &quot;Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red.&quot; When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, &quot;We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option.&quot;</p><p align="justify">As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas.</p><p align="justify">Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously.</p><p align="justify">Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, &quot;Initially, Green Revolution II's focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops.&quot; He added that is true that &quot;Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice&quot;.</p><p align="justify">Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, &quot;To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land.&quot;</p><p align="justify">However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.</p>'
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Arsenic on platter -Jyotika Sood

-DNA 38 districts under Green Revolution II affected by slow poison Indian government's ambitious project Green Revolution-II (GR-II) to promote growing rice in the Eastern states of India is bringing arsenic to your plates. As many as 38 districts spreading across six states out of the seven states where the scheme is being implemented are reported to be affected by arsenic. These states are Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Rice is a crop which absorbs arsenic easily from water and soil. Studies have shown unsafe arsenic levels in rice grain of various varieties like Kalanamak, Improved Pusa Basmati, Sugandha 4, Pusa 1121, Kasturi, Swarana and several others. Besides, studies also confirm that rice bran and husk contain more arsenic than rice grain. Rice bran is used for making edible rice bran oil, while husk is used as fodder. Arsenic poisoning due to water and food has caused over 1 lakh deaths in the country and over 2 to 3 lakh confirmed cases of illness, says parliamentary standing committee report which was submitted by Murli Manohar Joshi and is available with dna. It estimates around 6-10 million people in India are affected by arsenic. Despite these facts successive governments have spent over Rs 3,500 crore since 2010 under GR-II exposing the large swaths of population to arsenic infected rice. Though dna could not ascertain how much money was spent on each district, the major chunk spent in the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam had gone in the arsenic-affected districts. In fact, all the eight districts in West Bengal and 15 districts in Bihar where GR-II is being implemented are affected by arsenic reveals the agri ministry documents accessed by dna. This arsenic-affected food is not only eaten by farmers who grow them, but is also supplied in PDS and sold off to other parts of India, including uncontaminated regions where the inhabitant may consume arsenic from the contaminated food. Dr Sanjeev Lalwani, toxicology expert from AIIMS says long-term intake of arsenic through water and food causes serious ailments like hyper pigmentation, keratosis, anaemia, swelling of legs, liver fibrosis, chronic lung diseases, gangrene, neuropathy, cancer etc. "Symptoms from chornic arsenic poisoning are very common like diarrhea and nausea and people cannot make out if it is arsenic poisoning. Only detailed investigations can ascertain poisoning due to arsenic, but even doctors realise it very late especially when patient don't respond to treatments." The arsenic level in these districts varies between 0.01 mg/L to 3 mg/L and the most affected districts being in states of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The deposition of arsenic in soil profile varies from 20 metres to 80 metres below the soil level. The acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water according to the World Health Organisation is 0.01 mg/L, while according to the Bureau of Indian Standards it is 0.05 mg/L. Churamanpur village in Buxar district of Bihar is one of the cases. One could see water bodies marked with red and green sign boards here. Ramkrishan Pandey, a farmer in the same village says a few years ago some government officials visited and took water samples. Then they put up these sign boards coloured red and green. With signs came a warning, if you use the water for food and drinking from sources marked red you'll fall ill and die because it is poisoned by arsenic. Pandey adds that nearby 10 villages have the same problem. "Eighty per cent of water sources like ponds and wells in these areas are marked red." When Pandey is asked that if there is crisis for drinking water, how they manage irrigation? He replies, "We grow rice using the water marked with red. We know that by using this water, arsenic comes in food, but we have no other option." As the ministry of agriculture is riding high on the success of GR-II stating the rice production in eastern states has increased up to 53.75 per cent of total all India rice production, while it was 48.95 per cent in 2010-11, it seems the ministry is least concerned about the quality of rice being produced in these areas. Though the ministry has been issuing advisories with recent one in December 2014 asking state principal secretaries agriculture to discourage rice cultivation, but it has failed to develop a mechanism to ensure that funds are used judiciously. Talking to dna, a senior agriculture ministry official on condition of anonymity said, "Initially, Green Revolution II's focus was on rice but now we are diverting to other crops like wheat and maize too. Under GR-II, it is the state government who decide how and where to spend the money and on what crops." He added that is true that "Indian policy makers are obsessed with rice". Former Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director (general crops) Swappan Dutta seemed to be backing this view when he says, "To maintain food security as well as remunerative agriculture, rice should be avoided to be grown in marginal and arsenic land." However, he maintained that the issue of arsenic in rice grains is still debatable. He adds that apart from rice, green leafy vegetables and fish also absorb arsenic.