Leads to cancer and fluorosis that damages bones, teeth, muscles  West Bengal is the worst-affected State in terms of arsenic contamination “The problem is being ignored because those who must address it consume bottled water” About 1.80-lakh rural habitations are afflicted by poor water quality leading to serious health problems such as cancer and fluorosis that damages bones, teeth and muscles. Arsenic contamination has been reported in nine States, fluoride problem in 18...

KEY TRENDS   • According to NSS 76th Round, the major source of drinking water of the household was hand pump in the rural areas and piped water into dwelling in the urban areas. About 42.9 percent of the households in the rural areas used hand pump as the principal source of drinking water and about 40.9 percent of the households in the urban areas used piped water into dwelling as the principal...