“After the Calcutta Rescue team fixed our water filters, the drinking water tastes much better now. I’m really happy they came from Kolkata to help us. Thanks to them,” said Mamata, a resident of the Hazipara area.
Calcutta Rescue’s Malda Arsenic Project began in 2003 when Dr. Jack Preger, the founder of Calcutta Rescue, learned about mass arsenic poisoning from well water in the Malda region of West Bengal through a report by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Calcutta Rescue repaired the water filters in Malda with support from the Everywell Water Foundation UK, who also provided support in building handwashing stations in Dakshineswar and proper toilet and water facility in Bagbazar slum area where Calcutta Rescue works.
In Malda, Calcutta Rescue worked on 12 filters in remote villages located 30 km away from the main township. These villages are home to around 20,000 very poor families, many of whom work as daily laborers, bidi workers, domestic helpers, and silkworm farmers.
Due to the pandemic, maintenance had to be put on hold. Now that the fear of the pandemic has decreased, the Calcutta Rescue team has resumed caring for the water filters.
In February 2023, a team of five from Calcutta Rescue visited the remote areas of Malda, a seven-hour journey from Kolkata, to assess the condition of the filters. “We found that most villagers lacked the knowledge about arsenic contamination, so we needed to act quickly to ensure they have safe drinking water,” said Asif, the head of Calcutta Rescue’s Living Standards team.
The team met with the people responsible for the water filters in Malda, developed strategies, and began work in April 2023. Among the 12 filters, one was completely out of order and had to be replaced immediately. Five filters received new media (a mixture of gravel used to purify water), and work on one filter is still ongoing. The rest were checked and cleaned as needed. In mid-August, a comprehensive water test was conducted to check for arsenic and iron levels, and everything appeared to be fine.
The filters were also given a fresh coat of paint, and the project was completed in July 2023.
After finishing the project, the team toured the entire area using rickshaws and megaphones to organize an awareness session about the project and the importance of safe drinking water.
The awareness session was a success. “Many villagers were unaware of the arsenic contamination in their drinking water. We interacted with them, and they were eager to learn. We convinced them to take care of the filters themselves, with Calcutta Rescue’s support,” said a team member.
